i 


^. 


PRESENTED    TO    THE    ART   DEPARTMENT 

UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA 

AT 
LOS  ANGELES 

BY   THE    FAMILY   OF 

BERNICE    IRENE    SCHMIEDER 

1973 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


)*^^ 

THE  LACE  BOOK 

^^ 


THE  LACE  BOOK 


BY 

N.  HUDSON  MOORE 

AUTHOR    OF 

"The  Old  China  Book"  " The  Old  Furniture  Book"  etc. 

WITH  SEVENTY  ENGRAVINGS 
SHOWING  SPECIMENS  OF  LACE,  OR  ITS  WEAR  IN  FAMOUS  PORTRAITS 


NEW   YORK 
FREDERICK  A.   STOKES   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1904,  BY 
FREDEHICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 


All  rights  reserved 


Published  in  October,  1904 


.A .%.         y.         ^.'.^       j'*.^        jf.          ••"••__».••"•»        •»"'•          A«         .»*•         V-.          •*•.          A 

Contents 

PAGE 

I.   THE  GROWTH  OF  LACE 1 

II.    ITALIAN  LACE .     .  55 

III.  FLEMISH  LACE 85 

IV.  FRENCH  AND  SPANISH  LACES 115 

V.   ENGLISH  AND  IRISH  LACES  165 


INDEX 


199 


V 


List  of  Illustrations 


PART    I 

Frontispiece.     Queen  Marie-Amelie. 

PLATE                                                                                                    FACING  PAGE 

I.  Early  Italian  drawn-work 6 

II.  Cut-work,  with  squares  of  embroidery 10 

III.  Lucrezia  Ricasoli  ne  Zanchino 12 

IV.  Lacis,  and  Venetian  drawn-work 14 

V.  Donna  Emilia  Spinelli 18 

VI.  Donna  Portia  Rossi 20 

VII.  The  Gonfaloniere  Peretti 24 

VIII.  Faustina,  wife  of  Count  John  of  Nassau 28 

IX.  Bossuet 32 

X.  Marie-Pauline  Bonaparte 36 

XI.  Empress  Eugenie        38 

XII.  Cornells  de  Graef 42 

XIII.  Silver  Point  d'Espagne 48 

XIV.  George  Washington 52 

PART   II 

XV.  Princess  Eleonora  di  Mantova 58 

XVI.  Eleanor  of  Toledo 60 

XVII.  "  Punto  in  Aria  " 62 

XVIII.  Gros  Point  de  Venise .  64 

XIX.  Gros  Point,  and  Punto  tagliato 66 

XX.  "Leader  of  choir  of  Henry  IV" 68 

XXI.  Point  de  Venise  a  Reseau 70 

XXII.  Gold  Lace 72 

XXIII.  Thomas  Francis  Carignan 74 

XXIV.  Italian  bobbin-made  lappet 76 

XXV.  Italian  bobbin-made  flounce 78 

XXVI.  Marie  de  Medicis        80 

XXVII.  Bobbin-made  flounce 82 

XXVIII.  Shawl  made  from  pith  of  the  Aloe 84 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


PLATE 


PART   III 


FACING  PAGE 


XXIX.    "  Little  Princess " 88 

XXX.    Bobbin-made  Flemish  lace,  and  Mechlin      ....  90 

XXXI.    Portrait  of  a  Young  Man 94 

XXXII.    Portion  of  a  cap 96 

XXXIII.  Francis  Henry  of  Orange 98 

XXXIV.  Point  d'Angleterre  a  Reseau 100 

XXXV.    Rubens'  Wife,  by  Frans  Hals 102 

XXXVI.    "  Fausse  Valenciennes  " 104 

XXXVII.    Portrait  of  his  daughter  by  Cuyp 108 

XXXVIII.    Duchesse  de  Nemours 112 

PART   IV 

XXXIX.    Court  ball  in  time  of  Henry  III  of  France  .     .     .     .  118 
XL.    Claudia,  daughter  of  Henry  II   and  Catherine  de 

Medici   ...           122 

XLI.    James  Stuart  and  his  sister  Louisa 126 

XLII.    Point  d'Alenson 130 

XLIII.    "  Unknown  Princesses  " 134 

XLIV.    Charles  de  France  and  Marie- Adelaide 138 

XLV.    "Vrai  Valenciennes"  and  Old  black  Chantilly      .     .  140 

XLVI.    Queen  Marie- Antoinette 144 

XLVII.    La  Duchesse  d'Aumale 148 

XLVIII.    Spanish  needle  point 150 

XLIX.    White  Spanish  blonde 154 

L.    Chalice  veil  and  silk  Maltese  bobbin  lace     .     .     .     .  158 

LI.    Henrietta  Anna,  Duchesse  d'Orleans 162 

PART   V 

LII.    Old  Honiton 168 

LI  1 1.    Buckinghamshire  lace 174 

LIV.    Devonshire  Trolly  lace,  Bedfordshire  "  Baby  lace," 

and  Buckinghamshire  Trolly  lace 178 

LV.    English  bobbin-made  lace,  and  Honiton       .     .     .     .  182 

LVI.    Irish  crochet  lace        186 

LVII.    Limerick  Applique  lace 190 

LVI  1 1.    Point  de  Gaze  and  Point  d'Alen9on  XX  Century      .  196 


Part  I— The  Growth  of  Lace 


"  /JND  here  the  needle  plies  its  busy  task, 
/J  The  pattern  grows,  the  well-depicted  flower, 
^  A.  wrought  patiently  into  the  snowy  lawn, 
Unfolds  its  bosom,  buds  and  leaves  and  sprigs, 
And  curling  tendrils,  gracefully  dispersed, 
Follow  the  nimble  fingers  of  the  fair — 
A  wreath  that  cannot  fade  of  flowers  that  blow 
With  most  success  when  all  besides  decay." 

—  COWPER. 


#  ;#>.  #:.  ;$  .'*  .:*:.  .&   '&.  &  #:.  ;&  .:&  j*:^ 

THE  LACE  BOOK 

^!.  ."*fc   .V!    ^K.   iv. &    ."^    ?4*f     !^jf    Jfc  $fc    &     ^ 

Par/  / — The  Growth  of  Lace 

»"  HE  desire  for  beauty  in  attire  which  is 
found  in  even  the  most  primitive  and 
barbarous  nations  is  responsible  for  the 
production  of  the  finest  and  most  costly 
trimming  which  can  be  lavished  upon 
'.  costume.  The  progressive  steps  have 
been  slow  and  interesting,  the  first  having  been  taken  as 
far  back  as  the  tenth  century  before  Christ,  in  the  land  of 
the  Pharaohs,  whose  mummy-cases  yield  up  work  made 
on  flax  cloth  with  coloured  threads,  and  patterns  drawn 
and  worked  in  geometric  design  or  with  inscriptions. 
The  luxury-loving  Greeks  and  Romans  ornamented  their 
togas  and  peplums  with  graceful  patterns  wrought  in  con- 
trasting colours  or  in  gold.  Garments,  when  fresh  and 
new,  needed  no  ornament  about  the  immediate  edge,  but 
as  they  became  frayed  and  worn  the  threads  were  twisted 
and  stitched  together,  and  little  by  little,  from  such 
humble  beginnings,  grew  the  beautiful  fabric  we  call 
lace. 

The  fancy  for  ornamental  edges  during  mediaeval  times 
sought  expression  in  diverse  ways,  and  by  1250  we  read 
in  various  accounts  of  men's  and  women's  clothes  being 
"slittered,  dagged,  and  jagged,"  which  means  that  the 

3 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


edges  were  cut  in  patterns  of  leaves  and  flowers  and 
bound  about  with  a  strip  of  cloth  or  cord,  or  sometimes 
a  thread  of  gold,  or  the  decoration  might  be  cut  from 
velvet  and  sewed  on. 

Primarily  the  word  lace  signified  a  line  or  small  cord 
of  silk  thread  or  any  material  which  was  used  to  tie  to- 
gether portions  of  clothing,  among  both  civilians  and  the 
military,  as  the  doublet  and  hose,  the  sleeves  to  the  body, 
or  the  stays  and  bodices  of  ladies'  dresses.  In  the  "Paston 
Letters,"  where  so  many  of  the  fashions  of  the  times  are 
mentioned,  in  the  year  1469  John  Paston  wrote  to  his 
brother:  "I  pray  you  bring  home  points  and  laces  of 
silk  for  you  and  me,"  which  referred  to  these  laces,  made 
of  silk,  for  tying  the  clothes  together.  "  Points"  were  the 
metal  tags  on  the  ends  of  the  laces  to  keep  them  from 
ravelling.  There  is  no  reference  to  lace  other  than  this  in 
the  book,  although  there  are  many  references  to  clothes, 
their  fashion  and  trimming.  But  Lady  Paston  followed 
the  manners  of  the  times  in  placing  her  daughters  in  the 
families  of  persons  of  high  rank,  who  had  them  trained 
in  the  various  accomplishments  deemed  necessary  for 
well-born  females,  among  which  skill  with  the  needle 
held  an  important  place.  Royal  ladies  wrought  their 
endless  tapestries  and  embroideries  with  needles  of  gold, 
and  used  up  pounds  of  gold  thread  besides,  some  of  them 
working  merely  to  pass  away  time  otherwise  unoccu- 
pied, and  others,  like  the  unhappy  Mary  Stuart,  who 
was  famous  for  her  skill  at  needlework,  endeavouring  to 
bridge  over  the  tedium  of  a  weary  captivity. 

4 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 


No  two  languages  use  the  same  word  for  this  fabric. 
In  English  it  is  lace,  from  lacier,  to  fasten.  Lace  in 
French  is  either  passement,  dentelle,  or  guipure.  The 
Germans  call  it  spitzen;  the  Italians,  merletto  or  trina; 
pizzo  is  the  Genoese,  while  the  Spaniards  call  it  encaje. 
Flanders  calls  its  priceless  product  peerlen,  while  the 
Dutch  have  it  kanten,  and  the  Portuguese,  renda. 

Two  countries  claim  to  be  the  birthplace  of  lace,  — 
Flanders  ajid  Italy  ;  and  while  the  Dutch  have  contributed 
more  to  the  making  of  thread  lace,  it  seems  undoubtedly 
true  that  Italy  was  first  in  the  field  with  this  beautiful 
adornment,  but  in  its  earlier  form  of  gold  and  silver,  and 
later  with  coarse  threads  of  flax.  It  is  in  the  Italian 
inventories  that  the  earliest  mention  is  made  of  lace,  and 
Italy  long  sustained  her  supremacy  in  the  production  of 
superb  points.  She  worked  right  on,  even  though  other 
countries,  envious  of  the  immense  sums  which  poured 
into  her  coffers,  sought  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  her  wares, 
and  in  retaliation,  during  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV,  when 
her  work-people  were  drawn  to  France,  framed  the  fol- 
lowing laws  : 

"  If  any  artist  or  handicraftsman  practices  his  art  in  any  foreign 
land,  to  the  detriment  of  the  Republic,  orders  to  return  will  be 
sent  him  ;  if  he  disobeys  them,  his  nearest  kin  will  be  put  in 
prison,  in  order  that  through  his  interest  in  their  welfare  his  obedi- 
ence may  be  compelled. 

"  If  he  comes  back,  his  past  offence  will  be  condoned,  and  employ- 
ment for  him  will  be  found  in  Venice  ;  but  if,  notwithstanding  the 
imprisonment  of  his  nearest  of  kin,  he  obstinately  decides  to  con- 
tinue living  abroad,  an  emissary  will  be  commissioned  to  kill  him, 
and  his  next  of  kin  will  be  liberated  only  after  his  death." 

5 


1A»'*'AT  AT*  ''^"^ 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


Different  styles  of  laces  may  be  roughly  divided  into 
the  periods  wherein  they  flourished,  the  dates  in  Flan- 
ders and  Italy  being  approximately  the  same. 

From  1480  to  1590  was  the  Geometric  or  Gothic 
period,  without  brides.  From  1590  to  1630  there  were 
floral  forms  held  by  brides,  these  being  rendered  neces- 
sary by  the  heavy  character  of  the  lace.  At  this  time 
"modes,"  as  the  different  filling  stitches  were  called, 
were  introduced  by  various  makers,  and  from  this  time 
until  1670  development  and  elaboration  were  constant. 
Not  only  were  floral  forms  attempted,  but  figures,  heads, 
scenes,  and  birds  were  used,  and  there  was  more  lace 
made  with  meshed  or  net  grounds. 

From  1720  to  1780  little  bouquets,  sprigs,  sprays, 
flowers,  leaves,  buds,  and  dots  were  freely  scattered  over 
grounds,  and  these  patterns  we  have  since  copied  con- 
stantly, for  their  beauty  cannot  be  improved  on. 

Among  the  old  cathedrals  all  over  Europe  the  stores 
of  lace  are  of  fabulous  value,  being  of  silver,  gold,  and 
flax.  The  number  of  ecclesiastical  vestments  which  may 
be  trimmed  with  lace,  and  which  are  in  use  in  the 
Church  of  Rome  to-day,  give  an  idea  of  the  immense 
amount  of  this  costly  fabric  which  could  be  used  on 
a  single  set.  The  dalmatic,  the  surplice,  and  the  alb  are 
those  most  profusely  ornamented  with  lace,  although 
the  veil  is  sometimes  trimmed  with  lace,  or  entirely 
composed  of  it,  having  sacred  symbols  or  letters  woven 
in  it.  The  corporal  is  made  of  the  finest  and  whitest 
linen  to  be  obtained,  and  if  any  lace  is  put  upon  it,  it 
6 


~tDLA'£E    1. —  Early  Italian  drawn-work.      The 

background  is  formed  hi/  <t  dark  thread  stitched 

over   the    net-work    left    hi/   drcui'ln;/   n/nni'    of    the 

threads  of  the  linen  foundation.    Fifteenth  Century. 


^^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

must  not  exceed  two  fingers  in  breadth.  In  churches 
where  solemn  high  mass  was  performed  there  were 
white  silk  veils,  trimmed  with  lace,  for  holding  the 
paten.  The  towels  for  service  on  the  altar  were  also 
richly  trimmed  with  lace,  often  with  sacred  emblems 
interwoven  in  the  pattern. 

Not  only  was  lace  used  for  the  robes  of  the  dignitaries 
of  the  Church,  but  the  saints  and  madonnas  were  hung 
with  the  choicest  possessions  of  their  devotees.  No  lace 
was  too  fine  and  no  jewels  too  costly  to  be  devoted  to 
this  purpose.  So  many  robes  were  bestowed  on  some 
of  these  saints  that  they  were  changed  each  day,  or,  like 
the  rich  albs  of  the  priests,  were  worn  only  during  the 
celebration  of  high  mass,  and  preserved  with  the  greatest 
care.  In  St.  Peter's  at  Rome  stands  a  statue  of  St. 
Peter,  said  to  have  been  cast  by  Leo  the  Great  from  the 
old  statue  of  Jupiter  Capitolinus.  It  is  of  very  rude 
workmanship  and  stands  with  one  foot  extended.  It 
is  an  object  of  great  devotion  to  Roman  Catholics,  who 
cover  with  kisses  the  extended  foot.  On  high  festival 
days  this  statue  is  robed  in  full  pontificals.  On  the 
jubilee  of  Pius  IX,  in  June,  1871,  it  was  attired  in  an 
alb  and  stole  of  old  Point  de  Venise,  with  gold  embroid- 
ered cope  fastened  at  the  breast  by  a  clasp  of  diamonds. 

There  was  no  one  kind  of  lace  devoted  to  the  use  of 
the  Church,  but  the  choicest  of  all  kinds.  Venice  Point, 
Burano  lace  with  its  splendid  net  ground  instead  of 
ground  of  bars,  Alen9on,  Argentan,  Mechlin,  Valen- 
ciennes, all  were  used. 

7 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

The  island  of  Burano,  near  Venice,  had  long  been 
famed  for  its  splendid  laces.     Of  course  its  cathedral 
was  not  forgotten,  and  the  sets  made  for  the  use  of  the 
Church  are  superb.     The  old  ones,  which  are  now  a 
deep  coffee  colour,  cannot  be  surpassed  by  the  modern 
ones,  beautiful  though  these  be.     The  firm  and  solid 
character  of  this  lace  has  enabled  it  to  defy  the  ravages 
of  time,  and  in  the  revival  of  the  industry  the  workers 
have  been  able  to  copy  the  ancient  laces  which  were  so 
much  esteemed.     Queen  Margherita  of  Italy  became 
much  interested  in  the  revival  of  this  ancient  industry, 
and  lent  many  pieces  from  her  own  splendid  collection 
for  reproduction.     The  most  celebrated  of  these  was  a 
flounce  and  chasuble  made  for   Pope  Clement   XIII 
(1693-1769)   at   Burano  some  hundreds  of  years  ago. 
The  favourite  subjects  for  design  are  wheat  ears  and  vine 
leaves,  and  these  are  woven  into  numberless  patterns  of 
great  beauty. 

Nor  was  the  convent  or  the  paid  worker  the  only 
source  from  which  the  Church  drew  her  rich  store  of  laces. 
Great  ladies  have  devoted  years  of  patient  effort  to  mak- 
ing the  lace  to  decorate  altar  or  vestment,  and  in  many 
cases  rivalled  the  skill  of  their  sisters  in  the  convent. 

In  some  ecclesiastical  families  the  laces  belonged  to 
the  members  of  the  family  rather  than  to  the  individual, 
and  have  grown  steadily  in  magnitude  and  richness. 

The  laces  of  the  Vatican  are  well  known  for  their 
sumptuous  character,  and  the  work  which  is  constantly 
bestowed  on  them  keeps  them  in  perfect  repair. 
8 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

In  England,  till  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  lace  was 
used  on  the  altar  of  every  parish  church.  When  these 
stone  altars  were  abolished,  and  tables  standing  on  a 
frame  were  introduced,  about  1565,  by  Queen  Eliza- 
beth's order,  the  fine  old  laces  disappeared,  to  reappear  in 
some  new  form  in  the  homes  of  those  whose  interest  in 
the  Church  allowed  them  to  get  possession  of  them. 

While  the  anathemas  of  the  Church  were  loudly 
directed  at  undue  extravagance  in  matters  pertaining 
both  to  dress  and  to  indulgences  at  the  table,  there  was 
no  class  which  wore  richer  garments,  furred  or  laced,  or 
on  whose  table  could  be  found  rarer  dainties  or  sweeter 
wines,  than  those  of  the  princes  of  the  Church.  In 
France  the  lace  worn  by  the  Churchmen  was  of  the 
greatest  value  and  beauty,  of  home  manufacture  as  well 
as  of  the  splendid  Venice  and  Flanders  Points.  The 
laces  of  the  Rohan  family  were  heirlooms  and  of  enor- 
mous value.  The  Baroness  de  Oberkirch,  in  the  "  Me- 
moirs of  the  Court  of  Louis  XVI,"  speaks  of  seeing  the 
Cardinal  de  Rohan,  coming  out  of  his  chapel,  — 

— "dressed  in  a  soutane  of  scarlet  moire  and  rochet  of  English 
lace  of  inestimable  value.  When  on  great  occasions  he  officiates  at 
Versailles,  he  wears  an  alb  of  old  lace,  needle  point,  of  such  beauty 
that  his  assistants  are  almost  afraid  to  touch  it.  His  arms  and 
device  are  worked  in  a  medallion  above  large  flowers.  This  alb  is 
estimated  at  100,000  livres.  On  the  day  of  which  I  speak  he  wore 
the  rochet  of  English  lace,  one  of  his  least  beautiful,  as  his  secre- 
tary, the  Abbe  Georget,  told  me." 

The  Hebrews  also  used  lace  in  their  religious  cere- 
monies, and  their  talith  or  praying  scarf  was  often  very 

9 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


beautifully  trimmed  with  lace,  if  not  made  of  it  entirely. 
Hebrew  law  forbade  a  mixture  of  materials  in  these 
scarfs,  so,  when  the  body  of  the  scarf  was  made  of  silk, 
the  lace  was  of  silk  also.  This  silk  lace  was  made  with 
the  needle,  of  course,  and  was  like  the  other  laces  of  the 
period  except  in  material.  The  beautiful  Gros  Point  de 
Venise  is  exceedingly  rich  when  made  in  a  silk  which 
has  grown  to  a  deep  cream  with  age,  and  looks  even 
more  like  carved  ivory  than  when  made  of  thread. 

In  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII  of  England  the  Wardrobe 
Accounts  show  that  by  1539  shirts  had  become  quite 
common,  at  least  with  those  who  could  afford  them,  — 
for  among  this  monarch's  New  Year's  gifts  were  shirts 
embroidered  with  threads  of  gold  and  silver  as  well  as 
with  black  or  "  blew  "  thread,  which  latter  made  a  very 
picturesque  and  ornamental  trimming.  This  coloured 
embroidery  was  in  fashion  during  both  the  sixteenth  and 
seventeenth  centuries.  In  "  Religious  Ceremonies," 
published  in  1731,  appears  a  direction  that  a  cross  shall 
be  worked  in  "blew  thred  "  to  denote  the  spot  where 
the  altar  cloth  shall  be  kissed. 

In  1605,  in  a  play  called  "  Laugh  and  Lie  Down  ;  or, 
The  World's  Folly,"  a  handkerchief  is  thus  spoken  of: 
"  It  was  a  simple  napkin  wrought  with  Coventry  blue," 
—  the  making  of  this  blue  thread  being  the  great  in- 
dustry of  that  city. 

In  1575  Queen  Elizabeth  made  one  of  her  progresses 
to  "  Killingwoorth  Castl  in  Warwick  Sheer."  The  Earl 
of  Leicester  exerted  himself  for  her  entertainment,  and 
10 


^•^*S«.>aU 

r  Ik  '**sfcA  dfr*  -V"^*** 


LATK  II.— Cut-work,  with  squares  of  enibroi- 

ilvry.     Sicteenth  Century,  Italian. 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

in  one  of  the  many  pageants  an  ancient  minstrel  per- 
formed, whose  appearance  and  dress  are  minutely  de- 
scribed in  "  An'  Essay  on  the  Ancient  Minstrels  "  in 
"  Percy's  Reliques." 

"A  person  very  meet  seemed  he  for  the  purpose,  of  forty-five 
years  old,  apparelled  partly  as  he  would  himself.  His  cap  off';  his 
head  seemly  rounded  Tonsterwise ;  fair  kembed,  that  with  a  sponge 
daintily  dipt  in  a  little  capon's  greace  was  finely  smoothed,  to  make 
it  shine  like  a  mallard's  wing.  His  beard  smugly  shaven  ;  and  yet 
his  shirt  after  the  new  trink,  with  ruffs  fair  starched,  sleaked  and 
glistering  like  a  pair  of  new  shoes,  marshalled  in  good  order  with 
a  setting  stick  and  strut,  that  every  ruff  stood  up  like  a  wafer.  A 
side  gown  of  Kendal  green,  after  the  freshness  of  the  year  now, 
gathered  at  the  neck  with  a  narrow  gorget,  fastened  afore  with  a 
white  clasp  and  a  Keeper  close  up  to  the  chin,  but  easily,  for  heat 
to  undo  when  he  list.  Seemly  begirt  in  a  red  caddis  girdle  ;  from 
that  a  pair  of  capped  Sheffield  Knives  hanging  sC  two  sides.  Out 
of  his  bosom  drawn  forth  a  lappet  of  his  napkin  edged  with  a  blue 
lace,  and  marked  with  a  true  love,  a  heart,  and  a  D  for  Damian,  for 
he  was  but  a  bachelor  yet.  His  gown  had  side  sleeves  down  to 
midleg,  slit  from  the  shoulder  to  the  hand,  and  lined  with  white 
cotton.  His  doublet-sleeves  of  black  worsted,  upon  them  a  pair 
of  poynets  of  tawny  chamlet  laced  along  the  wrist  with  blue 
threaden  points,  a  wealt  towards  the  hand  of  fustian-a-napes.  A 
pair  of  red  neather  stocks.  A  pair  of  pumps  on  his  feet,  with  a 
cross-cut  at  the  toes  for  corns ;  not  new  indeed,  yet  cleanly  blackt 
with  soot,  and  shining  as  a  shoing-horn." 

There  is  a  portrait  of  Henry  VIII,  showing  him  in  a 
costume  with  ruffles  at  the  hand,  and  an  entry  occurs  in 
the  wardrobe  book,  of  a  pair  of  sleeves,  "  ruffd  at  the 
hands  with  strawberry  leaves  and  flowers  of  golde  em- 
broidered with  black  silke."  Also  a  pair  of  sleeves  of 
"redde  cloth  of  gold  with  cut  workes." 

11 


)l(& 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

There  had  been  many  acts  passed  .during  the  reign 
of  Edward  IV  (1461-1483)  regulating  wearing- apparel, 
and  during  the  reign  of  Henry  VII  (1485-1509)  gold 
and  silver  lace  as  well  as  thread  became  an  article  of 
commerce  from  Italy.  There  must  have  been  consider- 
able traffic  in  this  fabric,  for  an  act  was  passed  prohibit- 
ing the  sale  of  a  packet  of  lace  as  a  pound  when  it 
did  not  weigh  twelve  ounces,  and  that  the  contents  of 
said  packets  should  contain  lace  of  the  same  goodness 
and  colour  as  that  displayed  on  the  outside,  the  crafty 
Venetians  considering  it  allowable  to  make  more  than  a 
just  profit  by  giving  short  weight  and  inferior  quality. 
Queen  Elizabeth  of  York  pays  in  1502  quite  a  sum  for 
laces,  and  Friar  Hercules  is  also  paid  for  "gold  of 
Venys,"  and  "  for  making  a  lace  for  the  King's  mantell 
of  the  Garter." 

Queen  Mary,  whose  thoughts  were  not  fixed  on 
"  app'l,"  nevertheless  continued  some  of  the  laws  of 
Henry  VIII's  making,  in  which  "ruffles  made  or 
wrought  out  of  England,  commonly  called  cut  work, 
are  forbidden  to  any  one  under  the  degree  of  a  baron." 
No  woman  whose  station  was  of  less  degree  than  the 
"  wife  of  a  knight  might  deck  herself  with  lace,  or  passe - 
ment  lace  of  gold  or  silver,  with  sleeves,  partlet  or  linen 
trimmed  with  ptirles  of  gold  or  silver,  whitework  or  cut 
work  made  beyond  the  sea." 

It  was  in  the  second  year  of  Elizabeth's  reign  that  the 
great  ruffs  came  in,  trimmed  with  the  beautiful  thread 
Guipure  of  the  period,  and  requiring  stiffening  to  keep 
12 


III.  —  Lticrfizid   Ricasoli   n£  Zancfiitio. 
lure,,  probably  made  at   Rayimn.      Six- 
teenth Century. 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

them  in  shape.  Starching  became  necessary,  and  women 
to  do  this  business  were  brought  from  Holland. 

In  1564  Mistress  Dingham  Van  Der  Plasse,  a  Flem- 
ing, came  to  London  and  pursued  the  business  of  a 
starcher  of  ruffs,  and  taught  the  intricate  process  to 
others.  The  clergy  fell  afoul  of  starching,  and  Stubbes, 
besides  inveighing  against  it,  mentions  also — 

—  "a  certain  device  made  of  wires,  crested  for  the  purpose,  and 
whipped  all  over  either  with  gold  thread,  silver  or  lace  for  support- 
ing these  ruffs  and  called  a  supertasse  or  underpropper.  .  .  . 

"  Great  ruffs  or  neckerchers,  made  of  hollande,  lawne,  cambric, 
and  such  cloths,"  so  fine  and  delicate  that  the  greatest  thread  in 
them  "shall  not  be  so  great  as  the  least  hair  that  is,  starched, 
streaked,  dried,  patted,  and  underpropped  by  the  supertasses,  the 
stately  arches  of  pride,  towered  over  three  or  four  minor  ruffs 
placed  one  below  another."  The  outer,  or  "  master-devil  ruff," 
was  very  rich,  decked  with  "  gold,  silver,  or  silk  lace  of  stately  price, 
wrought  all  over  with  needle-work,  speckled  and  sparkled  here  and 
there  with  the  sun,  the  moon,  the  stars,  and  many  other  antiques 
strange  to  behold ;  some  are  wrought  with  open  work  down  to  the 
midst  of  the  ruff  and  further;  some  with  close  work,  some  with 
purled  lace,  and  other  gew-gaws,  so  clogged,  so  pestered  that  the 
ruff  is  the  least  part  of  itself.  Sometimes  they  are  primmed  up  to 
the  ears,  and  sometimes  they  are  suffered  to  hang  over  the  shoul- 
ders like  flags  or  wind-mill  sails,  fluttering  in  the  air." 

In  Mrs.  Bury  Palliser's  "  History  of  Lace,"  which 
covers  the  whole  subject  in  such  a  comprehensive 
manner,  the  "  Great  Wardrobe  Accounts "  of  Queen 
Elizabeth's  time  are  freely  drawn  on.  Abundant  evi- 
dences are  given  in  them  of  the  magnificent  way  in 
which  her  Majesty's  wardrobe  was  furnished  forth,  not 
only  with  what  she  bought,  but  with  the  splendid  gifts 

13 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


from  subjects,  which  were  rather  in  the  nature  of  a  tax 
than  evidence  of  a  desire  to  give. 

In  1577  Lady  Ratcliffe  gave  the  Queen  for  a  New 
Year's  gift  a  night  coif  of  white  cut-work,  flourished 
with  silver  and  set  with  spangles.  Sir  Philip  Sidney  on 
the  same  occasion  gave  a  pair  of  cuffs  of  cut-work.  In 
the  Wardrobe  Accounts  this  cut-work  is  mentioned  as 
being  of  both  Flemish  and  Italian  make,  the  latter  being 
the  more  costly. 

Besides  the  cut-work,  mention  is  frequently  made  of 
other  kinds  of  lace.  "  Bone  lace  "  heads  the  list,  and  was 
so  called  from  the  use  of  fish-bones,  which  were  scraped 
down  to  the  proper  size,  instead  of  pins.  The  bobbins 
were  also  made  of  bones,  the  small  bones  in  pig's 
"  trotters  "  being  those  generally  chosen,  —  in  England, 
at  any  rate.  Italy  used,  besides  small  bones,  bobbins 
of  wood,  with  sometimes  a  pretty  bead  set  in  or  a  bit  of 
silver.  Mrs.  Palliser  says  that  lead  bobbins  were  also  in 
use,  but  the  weight  of  these  would  seem  to  be  prohibi- 
tory. After  a  time  the  bone  bobbins  were  replaced  with 
those  made  of  wood,  and  the  term  bone  lace  becomes 
less  frequent. 

"  Bobbin  lace  "  was  next  in  order,  and  afterward  there 
was  scarcely  any  end  to  the  various  trimmings  which 
the  Virgin  Queen  lavished  upon  herself,  although  she 
kept  a  stern  eye  on  any  too  excessive  gaudiness  in  the 
apparel  of  her  loyal  subjects.  "  Crown  lace,"  as  its  name 
implies,  had  devices  of  crowns  ;  then  there  was  "  Hollow 
lace,"  "  Parchment,"  "Spanish,"  "Fringe  and  Diamond" 
14 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

lace,  —  all  mentioned  in  these  voluminous  Wardrobe 
Accounts,  which  extend  from  the  first  year  of  Queen 
Elizabeth's  reign  (1558)  till  1781,  and  fill  one  hundred 
and  sixty  volumes. 

Articles  of  feminine  attire  were  easily  purchased  at 
the  shops  of  merchants  by  those  who  dwelt  in  cities. 
But  the  country  ladies,  who  were  quite  as  eager  to  be 
"  brave  "  in  their  attire,  were  forced  to  buy  from  peddlers, 
who  carried  their  wares  from  one  end  of  Europe  to  the 
other,  and  were  eagerly  welcomed  whenever  they 
appeared,  as  they  were  not  only  expected  to  show 
their  goods,  but  to  be  able  to  tell  the  latest  fashions 
in  coifs  and  wimples,  smocks  and  pillow-beres,  ruffs, 
cuffs,  and  passements.  Needle-made  lace  was  always 
more  valuable  than  bobbin  lace,  and  in  Queen  Eliza- 
beth's time  varied  from  8s.  6d.  to  50*.  a  yard,  while 
the  bobbin  ranged  from  3s.  Gd.  to  11*.  6d. 

The  entries  in  these  account-books  seem  to  show 
that  the  laces  worn  and  most  in  demand  were  of  foreign 
make,  and  imported  from  Venice,  Lucca,  Genoa,  and 
Flanders.  As  early  as  1454  a  complaint  was  made  by 
the  women  of  London  against  six  foreigners  by  whom 
the  manufacture  of  cut-work,  both  of  silk  and  thread, 
was  introduced.  During  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries  lace  was  made  in  many  counties  of  England, 
some  of  it  of  great  beauty ;  but  in  the  early  days  it  was 
the  foreign  lace  which  was  worn. 

It  seems  amazing  that  Queen  Elizabeth,  herself  an 
arch-offender  in  the  matter  of  exaggeration  of  costume, 

15 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


should  have  been  so  strict  in  her  proclamations  against 
the  "  inordinate  use  of  apparel."  In  1568  the  value  of  the 
lace  imported  into  the  kingdom  was  £775  6*.  Sd.,  and 
the  Queen  personally  was  a  small  buyer,  since  she  received 
for  presents  such  quantities,  all  of  the  richest  quality. 
Her  very  petticoats  bristled  with  lace  of  "  Venys  gold," 
and  none  of  them  were  so  poor  that  they  did  not  at  least 
have  a  guarding  of  "Venys  silver."  There  was  hardly  a 
garment  which  was  not  edged  with  lace,  and  christening- 
shirts,  mittens,  and  mantles  or  "bearing-cloths"  were 
richly  laced,  and  aprons  came  into  fashion.  Laced  hand- 
kerchiefs were  given  as  love  tokens.  King  Henry  VIII 
himself  had  used  "  handkerchers  of  Holland  fringed  with 
Venys  gold,  red  and  white  silk."  They  kept  on  gaining 
in  richness  with  nearly  every  reign.  In  June,  1665, 
there  are  advertised  as  lost  : 

"6  handkerchers,  wrapt  up  in  a  brown  paper,  two  laced,  one  point 
laced  set  on  tiffany  ;  the  two  laced  ones  had  been  worn,  the  other 
four  new." 

Everybody  knows  the  sad  ending  of  Mrs.  Turner, 
who  invented  yellow  starch,  and  expiated  that  crime 
and  some  others  upon  Tower  Hill.  Not  only  starch 
was  needed  to  keep  these  huge  ruffs  in  the  desired 
shape  ;  there  were  setting-sticks  and  struts  of  either 
bone  or  wood,  and  the  poking-stick  of  iron,  which, 
being  heated  and  drawn  through  the  ruff,  gave  it  the 
proper  arch  of  pride.  Queen  Elizabeth  no  doubt  con- 
sidered her  huge  ruff  most  becoming,  and  never  dreamed 
that  it  was  whispered  about  behind  her  back  that  she 
16 


C^C<&3OOKX)^^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

had  the  "  yellowest  throat  in  all  England "  and  wore 
the  huge  gorget  to  conceal  it.  In  the  face  of  such 
extravagance  as  we  know  her  to  pardon  in  her  own 
person,  Queen  Bess  ordered  that — 

"  neither  also  shoulde  any  person  use  or  weare  such  great  and 
excessive  ruffs,  in  or  about  the  uppermost  part  of  their  necks,  as 
had  not  been  used  before  two  yeares  past;  but  that  all  persons 
shoulde  in  modest  and  semely  sort  leave  off  such  fonde,  disguised, 
and  monstrous  manner  of  attyring  themselves  as  both  was  unsup- 
portable  for  charges  and  undecent  to  be  worn." 

Stranger  to  us,  in  these  days,  would  be  the  laces 
woven  from  human  hair,  the  soft  and  silky  white  being 
that  most  often  chosen.  Mary  Stuart  had  a  small 
piece  of  hair  lace  given  her  by  the  Countess  of  Lennox, 
woven  from  her  own  white  hair. 

The  clergy  and  those  rich  and  powerful  nobles  of 
Scotland  who  could  receive  their  "  passements  "  and 
guards  from  France  and  Italy,  as  did  the  rest  of  the 
world,  used  them  no  doubt  according  to  the  fashion  of 
the  times.  Mary  Stuart's  arrival  in  her  dominions 
stimulated  yet  further  elegance  of  attire,  and  in  her 
Wardrobe  Accounts  of  1567  are  found  records  of  passe- 
ments and  Guipures,  gold  and  silver  lace,  and  most  of 
the  varieties  of  thread  lace  then  known.  The  national 
dress  of  Scotland  precluded  the  use  of  lace  of  a  delicate 
character,  and  an  account  of  the  costume  of  the  women, 
written  by  Martin  in  1703,  is  as  follows  : 

"The  plaid  for  women,  being  plaited  all  around,  was  tied  with 
a  belt  below  the  breast.  .  .  .  They  wore  sleeves  of  scarlet  cloth, 
closed  at  the  end  as  men's  vests,  with  gold  lace  round  'em,  having 
plate  buttons  set  with  fine  stones." 

2  17 


>C^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 


The  bulk  of  the  people  not  wearing  lace,  little  was 
made  except  among  the  great,  who  worked  at  it  them- 
selves and  had  their  maidens  make  it,  so  that  petticoat 
and  apron,  neckerchief  and  fly  cap  need  not  be  without 
it.  The  quantities  made  by  the  captive  Queen  Mary 
seem  almost  incredible,  fashioned  from  patterns  designed 
by  herself,  "after  nature,"  of  birds,  fishes,  beasts,  and 
flowers.  Of  the  latter  52  patterns,  of  four-footed  beasts 
16,  and  of  birds  124,  were  mentioned  in  her  inventory. 

The  sumptuary  laws  in  England  regarding  dress 
must  have  been  carried  out  in  a  half-hearted  way,  for 
during  the  early  days  of  the  reign  of  James  I  (1603) 
the  ruff,  double,  single,  three  and  four  piled,  was  the 
fashion  still.  The  clergy  yet  railed  at  them,  and  "  deep 
ruffs  and  shallow  ruffs,  thick  ruffs  and  thin  ruffs, 
double  and  no  ruffs  "  were  denounced  from  the  pulpit. 

In  1607,  according  to  a  play  of  the  period  called 
"What  You  Will,"  a  gentleman's  dress,  as  described  by 
his  servant,  was  as  follows  : 

"  A  cloak  lined  with  rich  taffeta,  a  white  satin  suit,  the  jerkin 
covered  with  gold  lace,  a  chain  of  pearl,  a  gilt  rapier  in  an  em- 
broidered hanger,  pearl-colored  silk  stockings,  and  massive  silver 
spurs." 

The  granting  of  monopolies  "as  numerous  as  the 
frogs  of  Egypt,"  and  then  the  rescinding  of  them, 
occupied  King  James's  attention  for  twenty  years. 
The  importation  of  gold  and  silver  lace  was  the  per- 
quisite of  the  Earl  of  Suffolk,  and  no  doubt  he  saw  to 
it  that  plenty  was  worn. 
18 


1OLATE   V.     Donna  Emilia   ^Infill.     Ruff  of 

linen  trimmed  with  lieticella  or  drawn-work 

and  edt/txl  with  Gothic  I'oint.       Sixteenth   Century. 


>o<xx^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

As  early  as  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century  there 
were  many  styles  of  cloaks, — 

"  Genoa  cloaks,  French,  Spanish,  and  Dutch  cloaks ;  some  of  cloth, 

silk,  velvet,  taffata,  and  such   like Some  short,  reaching 

to  the  girdlestead  or  waist,  some  to  the  knees,  and  others  trailing 
upon  the  ground,  resembling  gowns  rather  than  cloaks.  Then 
they  are  guarded  with  velvet  guards,  or  else  faced  with  costly  lace, 
either  of  gold  or  silver,  or  at  least  of  silk  three  or  four  fingers 
broad  down  the  back,  about  the  skirts  and  every  where  else." 

When  Queen  Anne,  wife  of  James  I,  was  hurried  over 
from  Scotland  to  sit  on  the  English  throne,  her  scant 
wardrobe  was  replenished  for  the  moment  from  the  relics 
of  Queen  Elizabeth's  magnificence.  But  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible she  bought  a  good  wardrobe  for  herself,  and  lace  in 
plenty,  "little  bone  lace,"  "  great  bone  lace,"  and  "18  yards 
of  fine  lace,  at  6s.  the  yard,"  and  yards  upon  yards  more. 

All  accounts  of  the  period  tell  how  Prince  Charlie  and 
his  companion  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  ruffled  it  in 
Spain  when  the  marriage  with  the  Infanta  was  in  pros- 
pect. One  item  in  "  Extraordinary  Expenses  for  Prince 
Charles's  Journey  to  Spain"  (1623)  is:  "95  dozen  rich 
silver  double  diamond  and  cross  laces."  Not  only  were 
rich  presents  sent  from  England  to  the  Spanish  princess, 
but  when  the  negotiations  were  fairly  under  way  great 
preparations  were  made  by  the  Infanta  herself,  according 
to  the  letters  of  James  Howell,  who  was  in  Spain  at  the 
time. 

"  She  is  preparing  divers  suits  of  rich  clothes  for  his  Highness  of 
perfumed  amber  leather,  some  embroidered  with  pearl,  some  with 
gold  and  some  with  silver." 

19 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

The  English  Ambassador  was  so  sure  the  marriage  was 
to  come  off  that  he — 

—  ** caused  above  thirty  rich  liveries  to  be  made  of  watchet  velvet 
(pale  blue),  with  silver  lace  up  to  the  very  capes  of  the  cloaks,  the 
best  sorts  whereof  were  valued  at  dP80  a  livery."" 

It  seems  as  if  Buckingham  must  have  almost  outshone 
the  prospective  bridegroom  in  the  magnificence  of  his 
attire  and  the  superb  jewels  he  wore,  which,  by  the  way, 
were  none  too  tightly  sewed  on,  so  that  a  few  occasion- 
ally fell  off,  to  be  picked  up  by  whoever  would  stoop  for 
them,  since  their  haughty  owner  would  not  do  this,  nor 
would  he  receive  those  that  had  once  fallen  on  the  floor. 
In  "  Curiosities  of  literature,"  DTsraeli  writes  : 

"  Buckingham  had  twenty-seven  suits  of  clothes  made,  the  richest 
that  embroidery,  lace,  silk,  velvet,  silver,  gold,  and  gems  could 
contribute." 

Speaking  of  the  Spaniards,  Ilowell  says  (1623) : 

"  His  gravity  is  much  lessened  since  the  late  proclamation  came  out 
against  ruffs,  and  the  king  himself  shew'd  the  first  example  ;  they 
were  come  to  that  height  of  excess  herein  that  twenty  shillings 
were  us\l  to  be  paid  for  starching  of  a  ruff';  and  some,  tho1  perhaps 
he  had  never  a  shirt  to  his  back,  yet  he  would  have  a  toting  huge 
swelling  ruff  about  his  neck.'1 

After  the  intricate  ruff  with  its  treble-quadruple 
plaiting,  the  fashion  for  what  was  known  as  "  standing 
bands  "  came  in.  These  were  of  linen  either  starched 
or  wired  to  stand  up  stiffly,  and  edged  with  lace.  They 
were  seen  as  early  as  1604,  and  were  worn  by  persons  of 
quality  till  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Even 
before  the  standing  band  went  out  entirely,  the  "  falling 
20 


TiLATE   VI.  —  Donna  Portia    d<-  AW/.       11  H/ 
of  Rrtict'lla  or  drawn-work,  edyed  with  Gothic 
Point.      Sixteenth  Century. 


C#XK>C<>C!O^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

band"  came  in,  and  was  bordered  by  lace,  embroidery, 
cut- work,  or  even  pearls.  It  may  be  said  that  in  King 
Charles's  reign  the  ruff  finally  died,  and  falling  bands 
became  the  mode.  These  latter  were  worn  by  all 
classes  save  judges,  and  must  have  been  very  much 
more  comfortable  than  the  ruffs  which  preceded  them. 
With  them  came  "  band  strings,"  so  called,  to  tie  or 
fasten  them.  These  were  often  very  rich,  and  were 
made  with  the  collar  or  sold  separately.  Sometimes 
they  were  plaited,  or  made  with  bobbins,  being  finished 
with  a  medallion  of  lace  or  merely  a  tassel.  "  Snake- 
bone  band  strings  "  are  mentioned  by  1652.  It  is  agreed 
that  the  reign  of  Charles  I  (1625-1648)  was  the  most 
elegant  and  picturesque  in  the  line  of  costume  ever 
known  in  England.  Because  Van  Dyck  painted  at  this 
time  and  made  the  dress  such  a  feature  of  many  of  his 
wonderful  pictures,  the  costume  has  become  known  by  his 
name.  The  perfection  of  this  courtly  costume  was  not 
reached  until  about  the  middle  of  the  reign,  for  during 
the  first  decade  the  dress  of  his  father's  (James  I's)  time 
still  prevailed.  To  the  completed  dress  of  the  gallant  of 
say  1630  almost  every  European  nation  had  contributed 
its  quota,  and  in  Ben  Jonson's  comedy  of  "  The  New 
Inn,"  first  performed  in  1629,  a  beau  observes : 

"  I  would  put  on 

The  Savoy  chain,  about  my  neck  the  ruff, 
The  cuff  of  Flanders  ;  then  the  Naples  hat 
With  the  Rome  hat-band  and  the  Florentine  agate, 
The  Milan  sword,  the  cloak  of  Geneva  set 
With  Brabant  buttons,  all  my  given  pieces, 
My  gloves,  the  natives  of  Madrid.1''  01 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

Even  after  the  commencement  of  the  Civil  War,  when 
Royalists  were  dubbed  Cavaliers,  and  Republicans  were 
called  Roundheads,  the  costume  still  retained  its  ele- 
gance and  beauty  among  the  faction  devoted  to  the 
Crown.  The  doublet  of  velvet,  satin,  or  silk  guarded 
with  lace,  had  large,  loose  sleeves  slashed  up  the  front. 
The  collar  was  covered  by  a  falling  band  of  richest 
Point  lace,  which,  with  its  peculiar  edging  of  points, 
became  known  as  Vandyck's.  The  breeches  met  the 
long  boots,  which  were  wide,  and  fringed  with  either 
lace  or  lawn  ruffles. 

The  female  dress  was  equally  elegant  and  varied. 
"  Rhodon  and  Iris,"  a  play  first  acted  in  May,  1631, 
gives  the  following  catalogue  of  the  ornaments  of  a  lady 
of  fashion  : 

"Chains,  coronets,  pendans,  bracelets  and  earrings; 
Pins,  girdles,  spangles,  embroideries  and  rings  ; 
Shadowes,  rebatoes,  ribbands,  ruffs,  cuffs,  falls, 
Scarfes,  feathers,  fans,  maskes,  muffs,  laces,  cauls  ; 
Thin  tiffanies,  cobweb  lawn  and  fardingals, 
Sweet  fals,  vayles,  wimples,  glasses,  crisping  pins  ; 
Pots  of  ointment,  combes,  with  poking  sticks  and  bodkines, 
Coyfes,  gorgets,  fringes,  rowles,  fillets  and  hair  laces, 
Silks,  damasks,  velvets,  tinsels,  cloth  of  gold, 
Of  tissues  with  colours  of  a  hundred  fold." 

The  varieties  of  falling  bands  are  "  French  falls," 
"  Geneva  bands,"  which  were  worn  by  the  clergy,  and 
the  narrow  falls  worn  by  the  Roundheads. 

Nightcaps,  which  had  appeared  in  King  Henry  VIII 's 
time,  had  by  1026  become  valuable  adjuncts  to  both 
men's  and  women's  attire.     Prince  Charles  carried  two 
22 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

with  him  on  his  Spanish  trip,  for  which  the  gold  and 
silver  laces  cost  £15.  These  nightcaps  must  have  been 
very  large,  for  King  James  required  ten  yards  of  needle- 
work for  his,  which  cost  £16  135.  4>d.  Nightcaps  held 
their  own  for  many  years,  and  in  1762  we  find  women 
of  fashion  wearing  the  "French  nightcap"  in  the  day- 
time. It  was  a  large  and  flapping  garment,  so  that  a 
writer  of  the  time  says  :  "  Each  lady,  when  dressed  in 
this  mode,  can  only  peep  under  the  lace  border." 

During  King  Charles's  reign,  if  the  lace  ruff  had  de- 
creased in  size,  there  was  no  less  lace  worn,  since  it 
blossomed  out  in  prodigious  fashion  on  the  boot-tops 
and  in  rosettes  on  the  shoes.  By  1627  much  fine  lace 
was  made  in  England,  but  it  was  not  till  1635  that  home 
industries  were  protected  by  prohibiting  the  importation 
of  "  Purles,  Outworks,  or  Bone-laces,  or  any  commodities 
laced  or  edged  therewith." 

Under  Cromwell  such  vanities  as  lace  were  sternly 
suppressed,  except  among  those  like  Cromwell's  mother, 
who  would  not  lay  aside  her  rich  lace ;  but  with  the 
coming  of  the  Stuarts  such  "fallals"  as  lace  were  once 
more  brought  forth  and  shaken  out.  Although  Charles 
II  issued  many  prohibitions,  he  himself  loved  Flanders 
lace,  and  wore  it,  too.  The  fashion  of  dressing  the  hair 
in  flowing  locks  effectually  killed  the  wide  collar,  as  only 
the  front  could  be  seen,  so  that  the  cravat,  richly  laced 
and  tied  in  front,  became  the  mode.  In  the  last  year  of 
Charles  II's  reign  the  expense  accounts  show  that  he 
paid  £20  12*.  "  for  a  new  cravat  to  be  worn  onthebirth- 

23 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

day  of  his  dear  brother."  Pepys  wore  one  of  these 
bands  to  church  on  October  19,  1662.  He  was  so 
pleased  with  his  appearance  that  he  notes  down  :  "  So 
neat  it  is  that  I  am  resolved  my  great  expence  shall  be 
lace-bands."  Pepys  speaks  many  times  of  the  lace  on 
his  and  his  wife's  clothes,  of  gold  lace,  lace  bands,  lace 
petticoats,  garments  guarded  with  lace ;  and  finally, 
when  his  brother  goes  to  Holland  to  seek  his  fortune, 
Pepys,  in  a  burst  of  generosity,  gives  him  an  old  coat 
trimmed  with  lace  from  off  one  of  his  wife's  petticoats  ! 

Lace  cravats  were  popular  for  many  years,  and  were 
only  beginning  to  be  superseded  in  1735.  James  II 
wore,  on  his  coronation,  a  Venice  Point  lace  cravat  and 
ruffles,  and  the  cravat  cost  £36  10s. 

William  III  and  Mary  did  not  hesitate  to  have  much 
and  costly  lace,  both  of  Italian  and  of  Flanders  make, 
and  the  expense  accounts  duly  set  forth  the  fact.  In 
one  instance  six  Point  lace  cravats  for  William  cost 
£158,  and  it  is  in  this  reign  that  the  extravagance  in 
lace  reached  its  height,  everything  being  trimmed  with 
it,  even  such  homely  articles  as  combing-cloths,  "  toy- 
lights,"  pillow-beres,  night  shifts,  razor-cloths,  etc.  If 
the  Queen  pays  £17  for  a  lace  apron,  the  King  exceeds 
her  by  giving  £499  Ws.  for  the  lace  to  trim  his  new 
nightshirts.  Nor  were  simple  gentlemen  far  behind 
royalty,  for  in  1709  Mr.  Gore's  wedding  shirts  are  de- 
scribed as  "  laste  with  lace  of  eight  pound  a  yard,  the 
nightshirt  lace  three  pound  ten  a  yard." 

"  Good  Queen  Anne,"  whose  name  has  been  attached 
24 


/,J '/'/•;    1 7 1.    -Tin-  Gonfalonicre  1',-Mtl.     /.'«/ 
a n/l  hrveflwa  of  cut-work.   Porirnit  l>i/  l)umt-ni- 


•     v     •-•    -  v  ^-s^s^*^  ^^v/^y-     v     --^     •^•'^w      v 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

to  so  many  objects  from  a  hoop-skirt  to  a  house-roof, 
did  not  spend  quite  as  much  money  on  lace  as  her 
sister,  but  she,  too,  when  she  wanted  it  for  state  occa- 
sions,, sent  to  Flanders  for  it.  Until  this  time  we  find 
that  the  term  "  Flanders'  lace  "  covered  all  of  this  fabric 
which  the  Netherlands  furnished.  In  1710  Queen  Anne 
paid  £151  for  26  yards  of  fine  edged  Brussels  lace,  and 
two  years  later  her  bill  for  Brussels  and  Mechlin  lace  to 
one  merchant  alone  was  £1418  14?.  There  was  no 
extravagance  to  which  the  ladies  of  the  court  did  not 
go  in  regard  to  the  quantity  of  lace  lavished  upon  their 
clothes,  and  in  an  effort  to  stem  the  rising  tide  an 
embargo  had  been  laid,  in  1711,  upon  the  importation 
of  gold  and  silver  lace,  under  pain  of  the  forfeiture  of  the 
lace  and  a  fine  of  £100.  The  companions  of  laces  were 
the  unguents,  essences,  and  cosmetics  considered  neces- 
sary to  improve  the  complexion.  In  1730  Swift  wrote  : 

"  Five  hours  (and  who  can  do  it  less  in  ?) 
By  haughty  Celia  spent  in  dressing  ; 
The  goddess  from  her  chamber  issues, 
Array'd  in  lace,  brocade,  and  tissues." 

The  male  costume  was  scarcely  less  exacting.  The  long 
wigs  necessitated  a  weekly  shaving  for  the  head.  The 
ill-paved  streets  wrought  havoc  with  fine  clothes  and 
the  rich  laces  with  which  they  were  trimmed,  so  great 
cloaks,  often  edged  with  gold  lace,  were  part  of  every 
man's  costume.  Each  walk  in  life  had  its  own  dress, 
and  each  might  choose  to  throw  about  him  at  night  the 
Doyley,  the  Joseph,  or  the  wrap-rascal. 

25 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


Year  after  year  the  "  Great  Wardrobe  Accounts  "  teem 
with  exorbitant  sums  paid  for  lace.  During  the  reigns 
of  the  first  two  Georges  we  read  of  lappets  and  flounces, 
caps,  aprons,  stomachers,  and  handkerchiefs,  and  the 
second  George  was  quite  a  martinet  as  to  the  quality  of 
his  lace  and  the  profusion  with  which  it  was  to  be  worn. 
To  please  him,  and  in  deference  to  the  prevailing  Eng- 
lish fashions,  when  Queen  Caroline  first  appeared  in 
England  she  wore  the  dress  most  in  vogue  among  Eng- 
lish ladies.  She  had  on  a  gold  brocade  with  a  white 
ground,  had  a  stomacher  ornamented  with  diamonds, 
and  a  fly  cap  with  richly  laced  lappets.  During  his 
reign  English  laces  began  to  be  held  in  greater  estima- 
tion and  more  worn  on  high  occasions,  and  edicts  were 
passed  prohibiting  foreign  importations. 

By  1760,  with  George  III  on  the  throne,  much  less 
lace  was  used  in  masculine  attire,  and  the  rich  lace 
which  had  been  in  daily  use  was  laid  aside,  appearing 
only  on  great  occasions. 

Early  in  the  nineteenth  century  collections  of  old 
lace  began  to  be  made  by  women  of  fashion,  and  Sydney, 
Lady  M  organ,  gathered  much  in  her  travels.  In  1818, 
at  Paris,  she  writes  to  her  sister  : 

"  I  have  had  to  set  myself  up  an  evening  dress,  and  though 
materials  are  extraordinary  cheap  here,  work  is  wonderfully  dear, 
so  dear  that  I  cannot  get  a  plain  dress  made  up  under  a  guinea 
and  a  half.  However  I  have  made  myself  a  very  pretty  dress  with 
my  own  two  hands,  white  satin  with  a  deep  lace  flounce.  With  the 
skirt  I  got  on  beautifully,  but  as  to  the  corsage,  fortunately  there 
is  scarcely  any,  what  there  is  being  covered  with  falls,  and  frills  of 
lace,  so  it  does  not  signify  how  the  body  is  made." 

20 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

From  the  cradle  to  the  grave  there  was  no  place  or 
occasion  where  lace  was  not  worn  in  profusion,  the  only 
limit  being  the  ability  of  the  wearer  to  gain  possession 
of  it.  The  once  beautiful  Aurora  von  Konigsmarck, 
whose  form  has  become  the  colour  and  consistency  of 
leather,  lies  in  her  coffin  completely  enveloped  in  folds 
of  costly  lace.  She  left  directions  that  no  expense 
should  be  spared  to  purchase  Point  d'Angleterre,  Ma- 
lines,  or  Guipure  for  the  last  adornment  of  her  body, 
and  the  jewels  which  were  also  coffined  with  her  are 
worth  a  fortune.  Many  people  were  anxious  about  the 
way  they  should  be  dressed  for  the  grave,  and  left  par- 
ticular instructions  in  regard  to  the  matter.  The  Due 
de  Luynes  writes  in  his  Memoirs : 

"  The  Cure  of  Saint  Sulpice  related  to  me  the  fashion  in  which 
the  Duke  of  Alva  (who  died  in  Paris  in  1739)  was  by  his  own  will 
interred.  A  shirt  of  the  finest  Holland  trimmed  with  new  point 
lace  ;  a  new  coat  of  Vardez  cloth  embroidered  in  silver ;  a  new  wig ; 
his  cane  in  the  right,  his  sword  in  the  left  of  his  coffin." 

At  christenings  lace  was  always  abundantly  used.  In 
1778  the  infant  daughter  of  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of 
Chandos  was  so  weighed  down  by  the  immense  amount 
of  lace  on  her  robes  that  she  fainted.  George  III  and 
Queen  Charlotte  stood  as  sponsors,  and  although  the 
child's  mother  observed  her  condition  she  said  nothing, 
so  that  the  dignity  of  the  christening,  with  Majesty  in 
attendance,  should  not  be  disturbed.  As  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  gave  the  child  back  to  its  mother 
he  remarked  that  it  was  the  quietest  child  he  ever  held. 

27 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

It  died  soon  after,  having  never  recovered  from  the 
effects  of  its  christening. 

It  was  much  the  fashion  for  great  dames  to  receive 
company  upon  their  "  uprising  "  a  few  days  before  the 
christening.  Lady  Chesterfield,  in  1802,  received  the 
Queen  and  George  III  "reclining  on  a  state  bed, 
dressed  in  white  satin  with  a  profusion  of  lace,  the 
counterpane  of  white  satin  embroidered  with  gold,  and 
the  bed  of  crimson  satin  lined  with  white." 

England,  in  her  love  of  lace  and  extravagant  use  of  it, 
had  but  followed  in  the  path  worn  by  her  Continental 
neighbours.  France  desired  to  be  no  less  brave  than  the 
rest  of  the  world,  and  the  sums  of  money  she  expended 
•were  even  greater  than  those  of  England. 

It  was  the  arrival  of  Catherine  de  Medici  in  France 
that  disseminated  the  taste  for  lace  through  all  classes, 
together  with  other  luxuries  that  had  their  origin  in 
Italy.  It  is  true  that  it  was  at  first  the  more  primitive 
forms  of  lace  which  she  brought  with  her,  but,  with  the 
development  of  lace  in  Italy,  France  followed  suit,  and 
it  was  in  full  favour  by  1550.  The  effeminate  Valois, 
dissolute  and  extravagant,  gave  themselves  up  to  every 
species  of  folly.  Their  dress  was  as  costly  and  brilliant 
as  could  be  devised,  mid  the  last  of  this  family,  Henry  III, 
paid  so  much  attention  to  the  preservation  of  his  beauty 
and  the  details  of  his  costume  that  he  was  well  called  the 
homme-fcmme  of  the  Louvre.  There  are  many  portraits 
of  him, — with  his  dogs;  receiving  Guise  ;  at  Blois ;  insti- 
tuting the  order  of  the  "Holy  Spirit;"  and  at  balls. — and 
28 


VIII. — Faustina,  wife,   of  Count  John 
of  Nassau.       Jtujf   of    /aim,   triple  -p/ai/td, 
edyed  with  fine    Gothic  Point.      Portrait  by  l-tarcs- 
teyn  ( lf>7^-16o? ). 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

in  all  of  them  some  form  of  the  ruff  is  evident.  Indeed, 
one  of  his  favourite  amusements  was  to  "  do  up  "  his 
ruffs  himself,  spending  a  world  of  time  and  pains  in 
clear-starching  them  and  ruffling  them  with  poking- 
sticks,  getting  them  so  stiff  that  they  cracked  like 
paper.  Finally  they  grew  so  enormous  and  unwieldy 
that  they  could  be  tolerated  no  longer,  and  ruffs  sud- 
denly disappeared,  and  turned-down  collars  became  the 
mode.  But  lace  was  still  in  demand,  and  Henry  III 
led  the  court  in  the  amount  and  costliness  of  that  used 
on  his  own  person.  At  the  meeting  of  the  States  of 
Blois,  the  King's  robes  were  trimmed  with  4,000  yards 
of  pure  gold  lace.  When  the  French  queen  made  her 
entry  into  the  city  of  Lyons  in  1600,  the  Captains  of 
the  Guard  were  all  dressed  alike,  their  garments  being 
heavily  trimmed  with  gold  parchment  lace. 

"  The  coronall  marched  before  them,  mounted  on  a  mightie  courser, 
barded  and  garded  with  gold  lace,  himself  aparelled  in  blacke 
velvet  all  covered  with  golde  parchment  lace."" 

All  this  time  edicts  were  put  forth  to  restrain  extrava- 
gance in  dress,  and  during  the  reign  of  the  House  of 
Valois  no  less  than  ten  were  issued.  With  Henry  IV 
these  edicts  increased,  and  in  his  own  person  he  endeav- 
oured to  stem  the  tide  of  extravagance.  If  he  was  plain 
in  dress,  his  queen  made  up  for  it,  and  the  accounts  of 
the  Queen  of  Navarre  teem  with  items  of  cut-work, 
passements,  points  for  handkerchiefs  and  rabats,  for 
collars,  towels,  and  lace  for  sheets. 

29 


X}<XXXX^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

The  inventory  of  Gabrielle,  Duchess  of  Beaufort, 
1599,  mentions  handkerchiefs  worked  with  gold,  silver, 
and  silk  ;  cuffs  of  cut- work,  enriched  with  silver ;  hand- 
kerchiefs of  cut- work  enriched  with  gold  and  silver  ; 
and  much  linen  also  cut  and  worked.  The  sumptuous 
elegance  of  Marie  de  Medici's  costume  has  been  amply 
portrayed  by  Rubens,  and  her  laces  and  jewels  were  the 
finest  to  be  had  anywhere.  Yet  the  time  came  when 
she  was  obliged  to  curtail  her  expenditure,  owing  to  the 
clamour  of  her  subjects,  and  in  1613  she,  too,  issued  an 
edict  prohibiting  the  use  of  lace  and  embroidery.  For 
some  years  previous  to  this  the  court  had  been  using 
quantities  of  the  richest  Point  from  both  Venice  and 
Flanders.  Much  lace  had  been  made  in  France,  how- 
ever, and  many  pattern-books  published  there,  the  first 
by  Vinciolo,  the  Venetian,  in  1587.  He  was  commis- 
sioned by  the  King  to  print  these  books,  and  they  were 
so  much  in  demand  that  there  were  many  editions,  and 
grande  dames  made  lace  as  did  the  great  Italian  ladies, 
for  themselves,  and  also  rarely  for  the  Church. 

Boots,  garters,  aprons,  cuffs,  and  falling  bands  were 
all  garnished  with  lace,  and  though  edicts  were  showered 
upon  the  use  of  it,  the  portraits  of  the  time  show  that  it 
was  still  the  finishing  touch  to  the  toilette  of  beauty 
or  of  cavalier.  That  gallant  boy,  Cinq-Mars,  Master  of 
the  AVardrobe  to  the  fickle  Louis  XIII,  is  always  re- 
membered by  his  300  sets  of  lace  ruffles.  He  was  only 
twenty-two  when  he  went  to  the  block  in  1642,  his  suit 
of  "dark-coloured  Holland  cloth  covered  with  gold 
30 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

lace,  and  a  scarlet  mantle  with  silver  buttons,"  setting 
off  his  handsome  person,  and  befitting  the  way  he  met 
his  untimely  end. 

By  1634  boots  and  carriages,  it  is  decreed,  must  show 
no  lace.  In  1636  a  fine  of  6,000  francs,  banishment 
for  five  years,  and  confiscation,  was  the  penalty  for 
wearing  home-made  laces  as  well  as  foreign.  Yet  Marie 
de  Medici  still  imported  and  wore  gold,  silver,  and 
thread  laces  from  Italy  and  Flanders.  The  waists  of 
the  gowns,  stiffened  to  an  extent  that  made  them  in- 
struments of  torture,  were  cut  out  so  liberally  in  the 
neck  that  the  Pope  at  last  interfered  and  threatened 
excommunication  to  those  who  persisted  in  baring  their 
necks  in  this  style.  But  this  had  little  effect,  and  the 
superb  upstanding  ruffs  of  lace,  stiffened  and  borne  on 
wire  frames,  set  off  the  painted  faces  of  their  wearers  in 
a  most  sumptuous  frame,  enhancing  the  whiteness  of 
the  shoulders  from  which  it  rose,  and  adding  another 
lustre  to  the  brilliancy  of  the  jewels  that  were  crowded 
on  neck,  corsage,  and  hair.  On  one  gown  alone  the 
queen  had  sewn  32,000  pearls  and  3,000  diamonds,  in 
addition  to  many  yards  of  gold  lace,  and  the  finest 
Venetian  Point  for  ruff  and  cuffs. 

Nor  was  the  use  of  lace  confined  to  the  outer  gar- 
ments only.  A  dame  correctly  dressed  wore  three 
skirts  of  different  colours,  all  guarded  or  trimmed  with 
lace,  for  each  skirt  was  expected  to  show,  and  the 
fashionable  colours  for  these  petticoats  were  called  by 
such  whimsical  names  as  "dying  monkey,"  "sick 

31 


C<aOOiOK^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

Spaniard,"  "  gladsome  widow,"  "  rat  colour,"  "  fading 
flower,"  and  many  other  equally  grotesque  terms. 

During  the  regency  of  Marie  de  Medici  fashions 
underwent  a  transition  state,  and  the  gorgeousness  of 
the  Renaissance  lasted  till  about  1630,  when  for  a  brief 
time,  under  the  edicts  of  Richelieu,  simpler  stuffs  un- 
trimmed  with  silver  or  gold  lace,  gold  thread,  or  thread 
lace,  were  worn.  But  this  eclipse  was  only  temporary, 
and  men  and  women  shone  with  even  gayer  costumes 
under  the  eye  of  the  Sun  King. 

Nor  was  the  crafty  Mazarin  above  the  passion  for 
Points,  which  he  bought  from  Genoa,  Venice,  and 
Flanders.  Later,  under  the  fostering  care  of  Colbert, 
the  lace  industry  of  France  grew  and  prospered.  This 
astute  minister  found  edicts  of  small  avail.  It  was  of 
no  use  to  prohibit  the  wearing  of  any  lace  greater  than 
an  inch  in  width.  "  Canons,"  enormous  ruffles  of  lace 
just  below  the  knee,  were  entirely  prohibited,  and,  as 
usual,  gold  and  silver  lace  was  under  the  ban ;  yet  so 
superior  were  the  splendid  laces  of  Italy  and  Flanders 
that  no  royal  mandates  could  compel  the  wearing  of 
coarse,  home-made  fabrics. 

In  1G65,  Colbert,  at  one  of  his  own  chateaus,  Lonrai, 
near  Alen^on,  started  a  small  lace-factory  with  thirty 
women  whom  he  had  brought  from  Venice.  This  first 
effort  is  connected  by  most  authorities  with  the  name  of 
Madame  Gilbert,  a  French  woman  who  was  a  native  of 
Alcn^on,  and  who  was  installed  as  head  of  the  factory, 
since  she  had  already  learned  how  to  make  Venetian 
32 


~I>LATE  IX. — Bossuet  (1627-1704).     lie  wears 
an    alb    (rimmed    with     Point     dt>,     France. 
Portrait  !>y  Rigaud. 


^^N^^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

Point.  Fine  lace  was  produced  here,  and  soon  in 
other  places  in  France.  It  was  originally  called  "  Point 
de  France."  Later,  specific  names  were  chosen ;  and 
encouraged  by  Colbert,  and  fostered  by  the  edict  of 
Louis  XIV,  who  forbade  the  use  of  any  other  kind  of 
lace  in  his  immediate  court  circle,  Alen^on  lace  grew 
to  great  perfection  and  beauty,  and  many  people  were 
at  work  upon  it.  Drastic  measures  were  used  to  see 
that  the  edicts  relative  to  the  wearing  of  French  lace 
only  were  earned  out.  In  1670  the  hangman  publicly 
burned  "  one  hundred  thousand  crowns'  worth  of  Point 
de  Venise,  Flanders  lace,  and  other  foreign  commodi- 
ties that  are  forbid." 

At  the  frequent  balls  and  masques  which  were  the 
diversion  of  the  French  court,  the  outlay  for  lace  was 
immense.  Louise  de  Querouaille  had  a  man's  dress 
made  to  wear  at  a  ball  in  1672.  The  bill  shows  it  to 
have  been  a  very  rich  court  suit: 

"For  making  a  dove-coloured  and  silk  brocade  coat,  Rhingrave 
breeches  and  canons,  the  coat  lined  with  white  lutestring  and 
interlined  with  camblett ;  the  breeches  lined  with  lutestring ; 
seamed  all  over  with  a  scarlet  and  silver  lace ;  sleeves  and  canons 
whipt  and  laced  with  a  scarlet  and  silver  lace  and  a  point  lace 
trimmed  with  a  scarlet  figured  and  plain  sattin  ribbon  and 

scarlet  and  silver  twist £  2 

"Buttons 1 

"  10  yds.  brocade  at  28s 14 

"  Linings  and  ribbons 20 

"  22  yds.  of  lace  at  18s 1916 

"Beaver  hat 2  10 

11  £59     6" 
3  33 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

By  1680  it  was  publicly  stated  that  the  laces  com- 
monly called  Point  de  Venise  were  made  in  France  as 
well  as  in  Italy,  while  in  1687  the  Earl  of  Manchester, 
writing  from  Venice,  complains  of  the  excessive  price  of 
the  Point  made  there,  and  says  he  is  sure  it  can  be 
bought  as  cheap  and  in  better  patterns  in  England  or 
Paris.  Never  was  dress  more  extravagant.  Since  the 
ponderous  richness  of  the  fashions  of  the  Renaissance 
had  been  thrown  off,  it  was  lighter  and  more  graceful. 
Beauties  and  elegantes  of  both  sexes  gave  their  minds  to 
this  absorbing  subject.  She  who  could  invent  a  new  use 
for  a  bit  of  lace,  and  he  who  could  contrive  something 
bizarre  in  the  cock  of  a  bonnet,  were  sure  of  the  plaudits 
of  their  friends  and  the  satisfaction  of  having  their  ideas 
promptly  copied.  There  were  such  fantastic  trifles  as 
"  galants,"  "  ladders,"  "  fanfreluches,"  "  transparents," 
"  furbelows,"  "  hurly-burlies,"  "what-nots,"  "  Steinkirks," 
"  Fontanges,"  "  engageants,"  "  roses,"  and  "  palatines,"  - 
all  requiring  more  or  less  rich  and  beautiful  lace  in  their 
composition.  The  skirts  of  the  gowns  were  looped  aside 
to  show  an  under-petticoat  quite  as  rich  as  the  gown 
itself,  and  frequently  smothered  in  lace  in  the  form  of 
whole  fronts  which  hung  from  the  waist,  or  two  or  three 
smaller  flounces.  The  sides  of  the  outer  skirt  were 
trimmed  with  lace  set  on  in  full  shell-like  ruches,  or  in 
"  ladders,"  and  only  the  purse  of  the  wearer,  or  her  credit 
with  the  lace  merchants,  limited  the  amount  put  on  these 
sumptuous  gowns.  Lest,  even  with  all  this  elegance  of 
attire,  life  should  not  be  sumptuous  enough,  "  bath  sets  " 
34 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

were  made,  trimmed  with  lace,  and  comprising  a  gown, 
towels,  and  a  great  flounce  of  lace  to  surround  the  bath-  4 
tub  itself. 

Changes  of  fashions  were  shown  on  lay  figures,  or 
dolls,  dressed  in  costly  stuffs  and  laces.  At  this  time 
France  had  assumed  her  place  as  arbiter  and  leader  in 
the  world  of  dress,  so  these  dolls  were  sent  all  about, 
to  Italy,  Flanders,  Vienna,  and  England,  and  called 
"  Courriers  de  la  Mode."  Two  hundred  years  before, 
Isabella  D'Este  had  sent  to  France  a  doll  from  Mantua 
dressed  in  the  style  she  affected,  which  was  also  worn  by 
the  Milanese  ladies,  for  Mantua  was  famous  for  its  caps 
and  its  embroideries.  Indeed,  the  well-known  term 
"  mantua-maker "  comes  from  the  name  of  this  city, 
now  scarcely  more  than  a  memory. 

With  the  coming  to  the  throne  of  Louis  XV,  lace  was 
still  in  great  demand.  None,  from  grisette  to  grandee, 
but  squandered  all  they  could  gather  together  on  this 
fragile  fabric.  Ruffles  were  an  absolute  necessity  on  day- 
shirts,  dress-shirts,  and  nightshirts,  Valenciennes  being 
the  proper  lace  for  these  latter  garments.  For  other 
occasions  the  trimmings  might  be  "  Point  a  bride,"  "Point 
a  reseau,"  "  Point  superfine,"  "  Point  brilliant,"  "  Point 
d'Angleterre,"  "  Point  d'Alen9on,"  or  "  Point  d'Argen- 
tan."  The  extravagance  of  the  period  in  the  lace  put 
on  the  night  garments  is  shown  in  the  Wardrobe  Accounts 
of  the  Due  de  Penthievre  (1738),  who  paid  520  livres 
(about  $104)  for  the  lace  for  collar  and  cuffs  for  a 
nightshirt.  His  nightcaps  were  many  and  ornate. 

35 


<X)^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

They  cost  from  27  livres  ($5.40)  to  253  livres  ($50.60) 
each. 

By  1730  the  fardingale,  which  under  the  austere  frosti- 
ness  of  Madame  de  Maintenon's  reign  had  suffered 
eclipse,  regained  its  old-time  proportions.  This  led  to  a 
change  in  the  fashion  of  gowns,  and  once  more  yards 
upon  yards  of  lace  were  needed  for  their  embellishment. 
The  thick  and  heavy  stuffs  worn  in  the  preceding  reign 
were  rejected  for  gauzes  and  transparent  materials, 
trimmed  with  fluttering  lace,  which  was  seen  on  every 
article  of  attire  from  slippers  to  fans.  It  was  during  this 
reign  (that  of  Louis  XV)  that  in  the  fancy  of  the  great 
dames  special  makes  of  lace  were  relegated  to  special 
seasons,  Argentan  and  Alencon  being  called  "winter 
laces,"  and  their  use  being  somewhat  superseded  by 
Malines  and  Point  d'Angleterre. 

In  Mrs.  Palliser's  "  History  of  Lace  "  is  given  some 
items  from  the  Wardrobe  Account  of  Madame  Du 
Barry,  showing  the  amount  of  Point  d'Angleterre  she 
considered  necessary : 

"  One  complete  toilette  of  Point  d'Angleterre,  8,8523  livres  [aboui 
$1764.60]. 

"  A  head-dress  composed  of  two  barbes,  six  pairs  of  cuffs,  and  a 
jabot,  all  of  finest  Point  d'Angleterre,  7,000  livres  [$1,400]. 

"Trimming  for  peignoir,  of  Point  d'Angleterre,  2,343  livra 
[$468.60]. 

"  Trimming  for  a  fichu,  of  Point  d'Angleterre,  388  livres v 
[877.60]. 

—and    so  on,  while  her  bills  for  other  laces,  Alencon 
and  Argentan,  even  as  late  as  1773,  teem  with  borders, 
36 


TpLA'l'i:    X.—Mnrlt'-PiiHlliiti   Kotiapartr,  I'rhi- 

(V-.sw      lioi-f/hcxc    ( IrSU-lS.'-'i ).         A';»/<//V-      rulic 

tritiiini-il  n'lth   li/tir/i   (i/ii/,iif. .      A'////'  of'  i/'i/if  /(ice, 
/'•h-Hl.      I'ortnni  />i/  Man-  Ili-imlt, 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

flounces,  and  festoons.  Even  a  pair  of  sabots  was 
trimmed  with  two  ruffles  of  Blonde  Tulle  bordered  with 
Alencon ! 

With  the  coming  to  the  throne  of  Marie  Antoinette, 
wearied  with  the  formality  and  etiquette  of  the  old 
regime,  the  court,  when  not  on  dress  parade,  laid  aside 
formal  fashions,  and  frivolled  in  India  muslin  and  straw 
hats.  There  was  not  much  lace  worn,  except  Blonde, 
which  made  frills  at  the  sleeves  and  about  the  corsage, 
and  much  of  the  eccentricity  which  crops  out  in  every 
court  found  expression  in  the  hair-dressing,  which  as- 
sumed such  gross  and  ridiculous  proportions  that  books 
and  newspapers  are  filled  with  sarcastic  remarks  on  the 
subject.  Many  little  details  of  dress  originated  by  the 
Queen  were  called  by  her  name,  like  the  fichus  trimmed 
with  lace  and  tied  behind,  which  we  now  call  "  Marie 
Antoinettes."  They  were  originally  called  "Archi- 
duchesses,"  and  were  made  from  both  Tulle  and  Marli, 
as  well  as  from  muslin.  At  the  Petit  Trianon  the 
ladies  worked  at  lace-making  and  embroidery  as  well  as 
at  farming,  and  flounces  of  Marli  lace  were  embroidered, 
or  at  any  rate  commenced,  and  served  as  pretty  trifles  to 
show  off  white  hands.  Even  the  men  worked  at  such 
things  as  lace  work,  and  carried  about  with  them 
little  bags,  called  in  derision  "ridicules,"  which  were 
furnished  with  sewing-implements  all  of  gold,  and  often 
jewelled. 

When  a  court  lady  reached  her  fortieth  year  she  wore 
a  coif  of  black  lace  and  tied  it  under  her  chin.  By  1789 

37 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


only  old  ladies  wore  caps  "a  la  Pierrot,"  trimmed  with 
quantities  of  lace. 

With  the  Revolution  died,  at  least  in  France,  the 
manufacture  and  use  of  lace,  to  be  revived  for  a  brief 
period  under  Napoleon,  who  appreciated  the  effect  of 
luxury  of  attire,  and  during  the  early  years  of  his  reign 
lace  once  more  was  imperial.  Alen^on,  Brussels,  and 
Chantilly  laces  were  the  favourite  fabrics  of  this 
monarch,  who  made  time  even  to  attend  to  the  small 
details  of  the  costumes  of  his  family  and  court.  To 
encourage  home  manufactures,  and  commerce  as  well, 
Napoleon  ordered  Josephine  not  only  to  entertain  ex- 
tensively, but  also  to  devote  much  attention  to  dress. 
The  Empress,  who  was  as  fond  of  dress  and  gewgaws  as 
a  child,  was  only  too  glad  to  devise  new  and  extravagant 
costumes,  and  spent  over  1,000,000  francs  a  year  on  her 
clothes,  and  even  then  was  constantly  in  debt.  In  the 
year  1802-03  she  ordered  200  white  muslin  dresses, 
embroidered  or  trimmed  with  lace,  costing  from  500  to 
2,000  francs  each.  In  the  same  year  she  had  558  pairs  of 
white  silk  stockings,  and  500  lace-trimmed  chemises. 
In  her  whole  wardrobe  there  were  but  two  flannel 
petticoats,  since  the  fit  of  the  gowns  was  so  close  that 
even  in  winter  a  chemise  and  corset  were  the  only  gar- 
ments possible  to  wear  underneath  them.  At  the 
coronation  Josephine  wore  a  gown  of  silver  tissue  em- 
broidered with  gold,  and  around  her  white  neck  a  ruff 
or  /raise  of  exquisite  lace  heavily  wired  and  studded 
with  jewels. 
38 


WDljATE   XL  — Empress  Eugenie.       White  and 

black   silk  Blonde    lace.      One    length  of  this 

flounce  three  and  one-half  yards  long,  twenty  inches 

wide,  sold  in  London  in  1903  for  forty-five  guineas. 

Portrait  by  Winterhalter. 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

The  trousseau  of  Marie  Louise,  prepared  under  the 
critical  eye  of  Napoleon  himself,  had  an  abundance  of 
lace  on  the  beautiful  garments.  Her  bed  was  draped 
with  fine  Alencon  lace  made  with  the  Napoleonic  cipher, 
this  figure  being  introduced  into  the  coverlet,  curtains, 
valances,  and  pillow-cases.  At  the  birth  of  the  King  of 
Rome  the  city  of  Paris  presented  a  cradle,  made  of 
silver,  gilded,  and  designed  by  Prud'hon.  It  was  an 
exquisite  thing,  crowned  by  a  figure  of  Glory  upholding 
a  brilliant  star.  Silk  curtains  fell  away  on  either  side, 
and  the  most  delicate  Alencon  lace  composed  the  cover- 
let, while  the  lace  flounces  bordering  it  fell  to  the  floor. 

When  Mademoiselle  Permon  became  Duchesse 
d'Abrantes  in  1800,  her  trousseau  was  the  first  one  of 
elegance  and  beauty  seen  in  Paris  since  the  Revolution. 
It  contained,  as  the  bride  described  it  with  real  girlish 
delight,  — 

— "full-trimmed  chemises  with  embroidered  sleeves,  pocket-handker- 
chiefs, petticoats,  morning  gowns,  dressing-gowns  of  India  muslin, 
night-dresses,  nightcaps,  morning  caps  of  all  forms  and  colours," 

— and  the  whole  of  these  garments  were  embroidered 
and  trimmed  with  Valenciennes,  Mechlin,  or  English 
Point.  The  wedding  gown  for  the  civil  ceremony  was 
trimmed  with  Point  lace.  The  bonnet  was  of  Brussels 
Point,  from  which  fell  a  veil  of  fine  Point  d'Angleterre 
large  enough  to  cover  the  whole  person.  Empress 
Josephine  was  present  in  a  superb  "  redingote  "  trimmed 
with  "  magnificent  Point  d'Angleterre  and  with  bows  of 
turquoise-blue  ribbon." 

39 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


In  a  letter  from  the  Duchesse  Edme'e  de  Brancas, 
dated  Paris,  1778,  she  says  : 

"  The  craze  for  the  Neo-Greek  costume  which  has  been  in  favour 
ever  since  the  Revolution  demands  that  every  line  of  the  female 
form  should  be  in  evidence,  and  lays  stress  on  much  that  were 
better  concealed.  To  me  it  is  quite  disgusting.1' 

The  colours  affected  were  all  called  by  fanciful  names,  a 
certain  shade  of  brown  being  "  terre  d'Egypte,"  while  for 
ladies'  gowns  such  colours  as  "  gorge  de  pigeon  "  were 
all  the  rage. 

The  Baroness  de  Courtot,  a  member  of  the  old  re- 
gime, who  returned  to  Paris  in  1800,  wore  on  her 
presentation  to  Josephine  a  gown  of  gorge  de  pigeon, 
"  with  the  waist  up  under  the  arms  and  a  long  train." 
The  dress  was  decorated  with  a  jabot  of  Flemish  lace 
fastened  on  the  bosom  with  a  diamond  clasp. 

Madame  Tallien,  who  was  noted  for  her  extravagance, 
was  the  possessor  of  3G5  head-dresses  and  bonnets,  all 
more  or  less  lace-trimmed,  and  400  gowns,  varying  in 
value  from  50  to  1,000  francs  each.  The  appearance  of 
the  court  was  very  gay  and  bright,  since  Napoleon 
abhorred  dark  colours  and  would  not  permit  them  to  be 
worn  before  him. 

About  this  same  period  (1801)  there  occurred  in 
Cassel  the  wedding  of  the  Duke  of  Meiningen  with  the 
Princess  of  Hesse.  The  trousseau  was  on  view  in  one 
of  the  rooms  of  the  palace.  The  dresses  were  displayed 
upon  a  long  table  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  round 
about  stood  smaller  tables  on  which  lay  the  body  linen, 
40 


oo<x^ 

TIJE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

the  bridal  robe,  hats,  shoes,  coiffures,  and  smaller  articles. 
An  eye-witness  goes  on  to  say : 

"Many  of  the  dresses  were  extremely  rich  and  elegant;  all  had 
immensely  long  trains  and  separate  sleeves,  either  of  old  Point  or 
embroidered  muslin  or  lawn.  The  bridal  robe,  I  was  told,  was  a 
gift  from  the  divine  Queen  Louise,  who  had  chosen  and  had  it 
carried  out  after  her  own  design  in  Berlin." 

This  "  divine  Queen  Louise  "  was  the  lovely  Queen  of 
Prussia  whose  portrait,  coming  down  a  stair,  is  so  popular. 
The  scarf  of  lace  which  she  always  wears,  like  so  many 
other  personal  details  affected  by  royalty, — as  the  hanging 
sleeves  of  Anne  Boleyn,  or  the  ruff  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
—  was  first  worn  to  hide  a  defect.  This  is  a  description 
of  Queen  Louise  at  the  opera,  by  the  same  witness  : 

"  She  wore  a  white  muslin  gown,  with  a  little  posy  of  violets  at 
her  bosom,  and  a  kind  of  turban  of  silver-spangled  crepe  on  her 
wonderful  blonde  hair.  Round  her  throat  was  draped  a  curious 
filmy  scarf-like  veil  of  delicate  white  lace.  When  her  Highness 
first  came  to  Berlin,  she  suffered  from  a  slight  swelling  in  the 
neck,  and  took  to  wearing  this  scarf  in  order  to  hide  it.  The 
scar  has  long  since  disappeared,  but  she  retained  the  habit  of 
wearing  the  scarf,  and,  strange  to  say,  the  ladies  have  adopted  it 
as  a  settled  fashion,  and  all  go  about  now  with  their  neck  so 
enveloped." 

It  was  this  same  young  and  lovely  Queen  who  tried  to 
induce  Napoleon  not  to  deprive  her  husband  of  half  his 
kingdom  of  Prussia,  but  which  Napoleon  did,  neverthe- 
less, at  the  Treaty  of  Tilsit. 

Napoleon  had  special  laces  made  for  his  own  and  the 
royal  family's  wear,  with  the  Imperial  bees  introduced 
as  a  part  of  the  pattern. 

41 


^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

By  1853  there  was  another  Empress  on  the  throne  of 
France.  Eugenie's  wedding  dress  was  white  satin  cov- 
ered with  Ale^on  lace,  not  so  costly  as  that  upon  one 
bought  for  her  some  years  later  by  the  Emperor  at  a 
cost  of  200,000  francs,  and  which  she  gave  to  the  Pope 
to  be  made  into  a  rochet.  This  was  modern  Alencon,  but 
the  most  costly  lace  gown  ever  made  in  France,  the 
ground  being  the  needle-point  mesh  which  had  almost 
been  done  away  with.  The  wedding  veil  of  the  Em- 
press was  the  gift  of  the  city  of  Liege,  and  was  large 
enough  almost  to  conceal  her  figure,  as  it  fell  from  her 
diadem  to  her  feet. 

The  French  laces  no  longer  retain  their  distinctive 
character.  Alencon  is  made  to-day  at  Venice,  and  the 
styles  have  become  so  merged  that  it  is  difficult  to  dis- 
tinguish them.  The  Flemish  influence,  however,  seems 
still  to  have  vitality,  and  some  of  the  modern  Flemish 
laces  closely  resemble  the  old  ones. 

Flanders  and  Italy  have  been  rivals  so  long  in  the 
world  of  art  and  all  the  higher  forms  of  artistic  indus- 
tries that  lace  forms  only  one  more  item  in  the  list 
where  each  country  claims  priority.  There  are  no 
records  to  show  that  any  Flemish  lace  was  made  before 
the  fifteenth  century,  about  the  time  it  was  made  in 
Italy,  and  the  early  forms  were  Gothic  in  character,  as 
was  to  be  expected.  These  passed,  and  designs  drawn 
from  flowers  took  their  place,  and  "  Rose  Point "  was  the 
name  applied  to  the  most  beautiful  and  delicate  laces  of 
both  countries. 
42 


TpLATK    XI  I. —Cornelian   do    Graef.       Collar, 

hand  xtrhu/a,   ami  edyintj    of  cuffs   I'oiiit  de 

Flandr<>.       Clonk    and    doublet    r.dyi-d    with    Mark 

Gulp/ire,  (farters  and  roses  on  shoes  of  this. tame  lace. 

Portrait  In/  A  ichola.t  Kims. 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

The  imitative  Dutch  always  bettered  the  article  they 
copied,  and  the  lace  made  by  their  men,  women,  and 
children  was  no  exception  to  the  rule.  Not  only  was  it 
made  at  the  homes  of  the  workers,  but  in  great  estab- 
lishments called  Beguinages,  one  of  the  most  famous  of 
these  being  at  Ghent.  Different  qualities  of  lace,  and 
of  course  great  varieties  of  patterns,  were  made  in  the 
lace  schools,  and  were  sold  both  for  home  use  and  for 
exportation.  No  Dutch  vrouw  considered  her  dress 
complete  without  some  edging  of  lace  at  least  on  her 
cap,  and  generally  her  skilful  fingers  could  make  it  if 
her  pocket  was  too  lean  to  buy  it.  Just  how  early  lace- 
making  began  in  the  Low  Countries  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  say,  but  it  is  known  that  long  before  it  was 
applied  to  secular  uses  it  was  owned  by  churches  and 
ecclesiastics.  Many  rich  vestments  still  belong  to  the  old 
churches  of  Brabant,  made  of  the  splendid  old  Brussels 
lace,  and  so  well  cared  for  that  they  retain  to-day  their 
old-time  elegance.  In  the  magnificent  cathedrals  of 
Holland  will  be  shown  you  treasures  of  lace  that  are 
absolutely  bewildering,  not  only  those  belonging  to  the 
robes  of  the  priests  and  the  cloths  of  the  altar  but  also 
votive  offerings  to  madonnas  and  saints.  These  often 
take  the  form  of  robes  made  wholly  of  lace  or  richly 
trimmed  therewith,  veils,  or  whole  suits  for  the  Infant 
the  Madonna  holds  in  her  arms. 

The  Hollanders  had  many  methods  of  economising, 
— selling  the  splendid  cloths  they  made  at  home,  and 
wearing  an  inferior  quality  of  English  manufacture  ;  or 

43 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

exporting  their  own  rich,  sweet  butter  and  using  a  less 
admirable  article  purchased  in  the  countries  of  northern 
Europe.  They  sold  their  lace,  too,  —  thousands  of 
yards  yearly  ;  it  remained  their  staple  of  commerce  when 
the  country  was  ravished  by  wars,  distracted  by  troubles 
at  home,  or  devastated  by  the  plague.  Yet  we  never 
find  any  record  of  lace  being  exported  to  that — 

—  "  country  that  draws  fifty  feet  of  water, 
In  which  men  live  as  in  the  hold  of  nature, 
And  when  the  sea  does  in  them  break 
And  drowns  a  province,  does  but  spring  a  leak." 

They  might  go  without  lace,  but,  when  they  wore  it,  it 
was  that  made  of  choicest  flax,  and  at  home.  Countless 
portraits  bear  out  this  statement,  as  well  as  testifying  to 
the  fondness  these  burghers  had  for  rich  raiment  and 
twisted  chains  of  fine  gold  made  in  Venice,  which  city, 
in  the  centuries  of  the  Renaissance,  led  the  world  in 
goldsmith's  work.  They  copied,  it  is  true,  the  laces  of 
Venice,  but  this  was  only  till  they  learned  the  intricacies 
of  needle  point.  After  that  they  were  quite  able  to 
stand  alone. 

The  Dutch  artists  of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries  painted  charming  genre  pictures  of  life  among 
the  simple  as  well  as  among  the  great.  Card  parties, 
music  parties,  a  lady  sewing  or  reading  in  her  room, 
flowed  from  their  brushes  with  prodigal  abundance.  In 
all  these  pictures  the  least  minutiae  of  dress,  adornment, 
household  belongings,  and  customs  of  the  period  and 
country  are  observed.  The  satin  and  lace,  the  broideries 
44 


^^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

and  furs,  the  carving  on  the  furniture,  and  the  gold- 
smith's handiwork,  are  treated  with  reverent  care.  None 
painted  more  realistic  pictures  of  this  character  than 
Mieris,  while  the  portraits  of  Mierevelt,  Jan  de  Bray, 
Franz  Hals,  and  Rembrandt  show  what  dignified  and 
elegant  gentlemen  these  burgomasters  of  the  Nether- 
lands were,  how  sumptuous  was  their  attire,  and  with 
what  a  grand  air  they  wore  it.  The  lace  roses  on  their 
shoes  were  not  too  small  a  detail  to  be  duly  given  point 
for  point,  while  the  falling  collars,  fichus,  cuffs,  stom- 
achers, and  caps  of  their  wives  are  painted  with  such 
faithfulness  that  the  quality  and  kind  of  lace  is  easily 
discernible. 

The  use  of  lace  seems  to  have  been  encouraged  rather 
than  repressed,  and  the  chief  care  for  the  Dutch  was  to 
keep  at  home  their  skilful  workers  who  were  tempted  to 
other  countries  to  teach  those  less  skilful  the  arts  and 
crafts  in  which  the  Flemings  excelled.  So  alarmed  did 
the  Flanders  burgomasters  become  at  the  number  of 
lace-makers  that  emigrated  to  France,  attracted  there  by 
the  offers  of  Colbert,  that  in  December,  1698,  an  act 
was  passed  at  Brussels,  threatening  with  punishment  any 
person  who  should  entice  away  her  work-people.  Even 
with  the  loss  of  many  skilled  hands,  more  than  enough 
lace  was  made  for  home  consumption,  and  in  1768 
England  alone  paid  Flanders  for  lace,  $1,250,000 
(£250,000). 

The  Dutch  were  always  on  the  lookout  and  ready  to 
supply  any  market  with  any  article  desired,  from  wooden 

45 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


ware  to  South  Carolina  and  Virginia,  to  a  special  kind 
of  lace  to  the  Spanish  Indies.  This  lace  was  of  quite  a 
different  character  from  that  sent  to  other  quarters  of  the 
globe,  being  a  Guipure  of  large  flowers,  geometric  in 
character  and  united  by  brides.  In  1696  a  galleon  on 
its  way  to  Cadiz  was  taken  on  the  high  seas,  and  among 
its  rich  freight  were  "  2,181  pieces  of  assorted  coarse 
Spanish  laces."  There  is  hardly  a  town  in  Flanders, 
east  or  west,  that  has  not  depended  and  does  not  still 
depend  largely  on  the  wages  of  her  lace-makers,  the 
greatest  drawback  to  this  industry  being  its  merciless 
destruction  of  the  workers'  eyes,  many  of  them  losing 
their  sight  when  in  the  neighbourhood  of  thirty  years  of 
age.  Even  so,  there  are  always  plenty  of  apprentices  to 
be  had,  the  lace  schools  of  West  Flanders  alone  num- 
bering over  400,  with  more  than  30,000  scholars.  The 
Bdgwnages  harbour  many  more  lace-workers  of  all  ages, 
for  by  far  the  greater  number  of  inmates  are  women  of 
independent  means,  who  live  at  these  institutions,  come 
and  go  as  they  please,  the  only  requisites  being  that  they 
are  not  married,  will  come  within  the  walls  at  a  certain 
hour  at  night,  and  have  enough  money  to  maintain 
themselves.  During  a  large  part  of  every  day  they 
labour  for  the  benefit  of  the  institution,  which  is  pre- 
sided over  by  members  of  a  Catholic  Sisterhood,  who 
also  have  in  connection  with  it  a  lace  school.  The 
Beguinage  at  Ghent  numbers  several  thousand  of  these 
independent  workers,  beside  the  immense  numbers  of 
children  and  young  girls  in  the  school  itself. 
46 


>OOOC*:XXX^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

Quite  different  is  the  position  occupied  by  Spain  with 
regard  to  the  lace  made  within  her  borders.  Quantities 
of  course  occupied  the  attention  of  the  many  nuns 
which  dwelt  in  such  a  Roman  Catholic  country.  They 
copied  very  faithfully  the  beautiful  Gros  Points  de 
Venise,  and  these  were  used  wholly  for  the  Church, 
adorning  its  altars  and  the  robes  of  the  priests.  Little 
was  known  of  this  store  of  lace  treasures  till  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  for  the  Spanish  grandee,  ever 
a  wearer  of  choice  raiment,  laced  his  garments  with  the 
products  of  Italy,  France,  and  Flanders,  or  with  laces 
of  silver  or  gold.  Few  laces  ever  achieved  the  vogue  of 
what  was  known  as  Point  d'Espagne,  the  most  splendid 
trimming  of  the  seventeenth  century,  worn  extensively 
by  all  the  world  of  powerful  and  great,  and,  although 
called  Spanish  Point,  yet  largely  made  outside  of  Spain 
and  sent  there  for  sale.  With  the  changes  of  fashion  in 
both  men  and  women's  clothes  the  use  of  this  lace  has 
wholly  declined,  the  remnant  of  its  glory  still  shining  in 
subdued  form  on  the  uniforms  of  the  army  and  navy. 

Spanish  Blonde,  the  only  other  famous  lace  of  Spain, 
is  yet  worn  in  mantillas  and  flounces ;  but  in  modern 
times  this  is  no  longer  made  in  Spain  except  in  small 
quantities,  the  French  market  supplying  the  demand, 
and  making  these  laces  in  the  well-known  Spanish  style, 
with  a  fine  net  ground  and  heavy  florid  pattern. 

Germany  never  occupied  an  important  place  in  the 
lace-making  world,  though  she  early  began  to  copy  in- 
dustriously from  France  in  the  north  and  Italy  in  the 

47 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


south.  She  never  achieved  fame  in  any  branch  of  the 
industry,  her  sole  great  name  in  the  work  being  that  of 
Barbara  Uttmann,  who,  having  learned  to  make  bobbin 
lace  from  a  refugee  from  Brabant,  introduced  the  work 
to  her  own  countrywomen  about  1561.  French  refu- 
gees settling  in  Dresden  and  that  region  brought  their 
knowledge  and  skill  with  them,  and  taught  the  German 
workers,  so  that  the  quality  soon  improved. 

Saxony  Point,  so  called,  was  a  close  copy  of  Brussels 
Point,  and,  like  that  lace,  extremely  costly.  Darned 
work,  lacis,  and  embroidery  on  net  were  extensively 
made,  and  gold  and  silver  lace  was  made  at  Hamburg 
(another  point  where  the  French  refugees  settled)  and 
became  known  in  Germany  as  Hamburg  Point.  Fred- 
erick William  of  Brandenburg  encouraged  lace-makers 
to  settle  at  Potsdam,  and  France  bought  from  Germany 
laces  made  by  the  veiy  Frenchmen  her  intolerance  had 
exiled.  Bobbin  lace  gained  a  firm  hold  in  Germany, 
and  many  varieties  of  coarse  laces  are  still  made  there 
by  the  peasants.  Some  of  the  earliest  known  pattern- 
books  were  printed  in  Germany,  and  the  patterns  bear 
a  strong  resemblance  to  those  in  the  Venetian  books  of 
the  same  period. 

Nor  is  it  possible  to  close  this  sketch  of  the  use  of 
lace  without  glancing  at  the  colonies  in  North  America, 
that  followed  at  a  distance  and  slowly,  it  is  true,  the 
fashions  of  the  period,  as  they  changed  from  time  to 
time  in  the  Old  World.  Little  lace  was  made  here.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  many  a  Dutch  vrouw  brought  her 
48 


p 


t'i-r  J'olnt 


xx<c#3OKx>^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

pillow  and  bobbins  with  her,  and  found  time  amid  her 
varied  duties  to  make  enough  "  Potten  Kant "  to  keep 
her  caps  trimmed,  and  enough  to  edge  the  many  fine 
linen  cloths  which  stood  on  table  and  mantel-shelf. 
There  are  one  or  two  old  pillows,  still  set  with  pins,  the 
thread  yellow  with  age  and  the  bobbins  quiet  for  many 
a  long  year,  treasured  in  museums  in  New  York  State 
and  in  Maine.  But  these  are  only  occasionally  to  be 
met  with.  Like  most  of  our  luxuries,  our  lace  came 
from  London,  and  plenty  of  it  was  on  sale  here.  Too 
much  attention  and  too  much  money  was  bestowed  on 
these  gauds  in  the  opinion  of  our  ancestors,  and  they 
found  it  necessary  to  frame  sumptuary  laws  for  the 
guidance  of  the  light-minded,  just  as  was  being  done  in 
Europe,  to  check  over-indulgence  in  world's  gear. 

In  1634  the  Massachusetts  General  Court  prohibited 
the  purchase  of  "  any  app'ell  either  woolen,  silke,  or 
lynnen  with  any  lace  on  it,  silver,  golde,  silke,  or 
threed."  The  very  fact  of  this  prohibition  being  framed 
shows  that  there  were  sufficient  quantities  of  these 
articles  on  sale  to  draw  attention  to  them. 

From  year  to  year  these  prohibitions  continued  in 
force,  and  in  1653,  nearly  twenty  years  later,  we  find  a 
man  taken  before  the  Court  for  excess  "  in  bootes, 
rebonds,  gould  and  silver  lace."  This  was  the  period 
of  the  lace  "  whisk,"  as  the  gorget  was  called,  of  lace- 
frilled  boots,  garters,  and  other  extravagances. 

Even  from  somewhat  remote  spots  like  Ipswich, 
Mass.,  which  was  settled  in  1633  by  the  younger  Win- 
4  49 


^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

throp,  to  cut  off  the  Jesuits  from  starting  a  mission 
there,  Madame  Rebekah  Symonds,  wife  of  Deputy 
Governor  Symonds,  sent  to  England  for  her  clothes. 
About  1658,  when  the  lady  was  close  upon  sixty  years 
of  age,  she  had  from  London  shoes  of  damson-purple 
Turkey  leather  and  satin,  scarlet  stockings,  and  a  light 
violet-coloured  petticoat,  "  grave  and  suitable  for  a  per- 
son of  quality."  She  had  a  spotted  gauze  gown,  a 
"  striped "  silk,  a  cinnamon  silk,  and  a  flowered  silk, 
"with  partes  (ruffles),  as  they  rate  them,  to  weare  in  the 
sleeves,  as  the  fashion  is  for  some."  Silver  gimp  and 
ribbons  for  trimming,  a  black  sarinden  cloak  with  two 
black  plush  muffs,  "  modish  and  long,"  were  among  the 
next  articles  forwarded  to  her.  She  must  have  known 
the  colony  law : 

"  Noe  p'son,  either  man  or  woman,  shall  make  or  buy  any 
slashed  cloathes,  other  than  one  slashe  in  each  sleeve  and  one  in 
the  backe  ;  also  all  cutt  works,  irnbroidered  or  needle  worke  capps ; 
bands  and  rayles  are  forbidden  here  after  to  be  made  and  worne ; 
also  all  gold  and  silver  girdles,  hatt  bands,  belts,  ruffs,  beav'r  hats 
are  prohibited  to  be  bought  and  worne." 

Fortunately  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  left  a  loophole  of 
escape,  for  they  go  on  to  say,  — 

"  It  is  the  meaneing  of  the  Court  that  men  and  women  shall 
haue  liberty  to  weare  out  such  app'ell  as  they  are  now  provided  of, 
except  the  immoderate  greate  sleeves,  slashed  app'ell,  greate  rayles, 
and  long  wings/' 

In  more  liberal  Xew  York  fine  clothes  were  more  freely 
worn.     In   1700  the  wife  of   Colonel   Bayard  wore  to 
50 


THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

church  of  a  Sunday  morning  a  purple  and  gold  atlas 
gown,  cut  away  in  front  to  show  her  black  velvet  petti- 
coat edged  with  two  silver  orrices.  Her  head-dress  was 
a  "  frontage,"  or  "  Fontange,"  and  she  wore  around  her 
neck  a  "  Steinkirk "  edged  with  lace.  The  news  had 
probably  not  yet  arrived  that  Fontanges  had  been 
"out"  a  six  month  and  "flat  heads"  were  the  mode. 

Nor  was  the  dandy  less  solicitous  about  his  appear- 
ance. From  1730  till  half  a  dozen  years  later  his  gold- 
laced  coat  was  buttoned  at  the  waist,  and  then  left  to 
fly  open  to  the  throat,  to  show  as  much  "  bravery  "  as 
he  could  muster  in  the  way  of  lace  ruffles.  These 
were  repeated  at  his  wrists. 

Governer  Montgomery,  when  he  occupied  Fort 
George,  had  not  only  much  household  furniture  sent 
him  from  London,  but  clothes  as  well,  suitable  to  his 
quality.  Among  them  was  a  suit  with  "  open  silver 
lace,"  "a  scarlet  coat  and  breeches  trimmed  with  gold 
lace,"  and  many  lace-trimmed  shirts. 

New  York  and  New  England  were,  however,  away 
behind  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas  in  the  elegances 
which  could  be  obtained  there  without  sending  to 
England.  John  Frison  of  Henrico  County,  Virginia, 
had  on  sale  in  his  store,  beside  farming-tools,  such  as 
they  were,  the  following  expensive  articles  : 

"  Holland  night-caps  ;  muslin  neck-cloths ;  silk-fringed  gloves  ; 
silver  shoe-buckles  ;  embroidered  Holland  waistcoats ;  2  doz.  pr. 
white  gloves  ;  1  lace  cap  ;  7  lace  shirts  ;  9  lace  ruffles  ;  holstercaps 
of  scarlet  embroidered  with  silver  and  gold ;  gold  and  silver  hat- 
bands ;  a  parcel  of  silver  lace  ;  and  a  feathered  velvet  cap." 

51 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

The  country,  as  it  prospered,  constantly  demanded 
what  was  worn  in  England  and  the  Continent,  and  by- 
and-by  the  newspapers  had  many  advertisements  of 
laces  for  sale.  The  presence  of  the  many  officers  who 
came  constantly  caused  a  demand  for  gold  and  silver 
lace,  and  by  1760  there  were  on  sale  in  many  places  in 
New  York,  "  gold  and  silver  vellum  lace,  gold  and 
silver  bullion  fringe,  silk  sashes,  and  hat  feathers,  for 
the  gentlemen  of  the  militia  and  army." 

Indeed,  ten  years  earlier,  there  was  enough  finery 
here  to  necessitate  the  services  of  a  cleaner,  who  adver- 
tises in  the  following  words  : 

"  Thomas  Davis,  Dry  Scourer  from  London,  now  lives  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Leigh,  School  Master,  in  Bridge  Street, 
near  the  Long  Bridge,  where  he  cleans  all  sorts  of  Gentlemens 
and  Ladies  cloathes,  Gold  and  Silver  lace,  Brocades  and  em- 
broidered work,  Points  d'Espagne,  cuffs  and  Robing.s,  wrought 
beds,  hangings  and  tapestry,  flowered  Velvets,  and  chints,  without 
hurting  their  flowers,  at  a  reasonable  rate." 

We  find  aprons  were  as  fashionable  in  New  York  as 
they  were  in  England,  even  though  Beau  Nash  declared 
them  only  fit  for  Abigails.  By  1751  you  could  get 
them  of  "  flower'd  and  plain  gauze,  lawn,  gauze  with 
Trolley  lace,  and  finely  flower'd." 

Three  years  later  (1754)  appeared  this  announcement : 

"  M.  Derham,  milliner  from  London  by  way  of  Philadelphia  in 
the  Rachel,  Captain  Joy,  at  her  shop  near  Alderman  Livingston's 
in  South  Street,  has  brought  a  genteel  and  new  assortment  of 
figured  ribbons,  plain  ducapes,  satten  do,  gauzes,  catgut,  Paris  net, 
white  and  colored  blond  lace,  silk  edgings,  thread  do,  black  silk 
laces  and  fringes,  hollands,  minionette  and  other  muslins." 

52 


~T>LATK  XIV. —Portrait   of  Qe.oryv,    Washing- 
ton,   /)_(/    Rothermel.       Showing    aye    of  lore, 
probably  Mechlin,  in  Colonial  costume. 


OO<&^^ 

THE    GROWTH    OF    LACE 

There  are  more  than  a  hundred  other  articles  mentioned 
in  Mistress  Derham's  list  of  goods  which  concludes  as 
follows  : 

"  Every  thing  in  the  millinery  way  is  made  up  in  the  newest 
fashion,  such  as  lappet  heads,  caps,  French  handkerchiefs,  ruffles, 
stomachers,  ruff's,  sleeve  and  glove  knots,  shades,  capuchines,  hats, 
bonnets,  etc.,  at  the  very  lowest  prices."" 

In  1762  there  is  advertised  a  special  importation  of 
"  gentleman's  superfine  laced  and  plain  hats,  dress'd  and 
cock'd  by  the  most  fashionable  hatter  in  England."  In 
addition  were  to  be  had  castor  and  felt  hats,  and  a  par- 
ticular kind  of  felt  hat  with  gold  lace  and  feathers. 

By  1764  there  could  be  bought  at  Moore  &  Lynsen's 
Vendue  House  such  fine  "apper'l"  as  a  "suit  of  super- 
fine white  broadcloth  trimmed  with  gold,  and  a  suit  of 
superfine  blue  trimmed  with  gold  vellum  holes."  This 
same  year  Nicholas  Stuyvesant  advertises  "  Gentlemen's 
ruffles  of  Blonde  lace." 

Colonel  Washington  sent  to  London  in  1759  for  arti- 
cles needed  by  his  wife.  No  lace  is  specified,  but  there 
are  caps,  handkerchiefs,  and  tuckers  ;  "  double  handker- 
chiefs," a  black  mask,  a  silver  tabby  petticoat,  and  a 
"  tuckered  petticoat  of  a  fashionable  colour,"  and  two 
handsome  breast-knots.  All  these  articles  were  prob- 
ably trimmed  with  thread  or  metal  lace.  Nearly  all  the 
portraits  of  Washington  in  state  dress  show  lace  ruffles 
at  the  sleeves  and  a  cravat  or  breast  ruffles  of  the  same. 
In  later  life  Mrs.  Washington's  caps  and  kerchiefs  were 
always  edged  with  lace,  and  some  of  this,  of  both 

53 


-.*V^v^v-^v'\«^>^^>*^W^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 


English  and  Dutch  make,  remains  in  the  possession  of 
her  descendants. 

But  with  the  ascendancy  of  pantaloons  and  shoestrings 
the  glories  of  ruffles  and  buckles  perished  in  man's  cos- 
tume, and  to  woman  alone  was  left  the  prerogative  of 
decking  herself  in  the  richest  products  of  the  loom,  the 
needle,  and  the  mine. 


,54 


•v'"    '••.••'    *v*    'v'    V    'v'    "v'    'v'    '••.••'    '••.••'    '•..••'    '•..••'    •• 


Part  II— Italian  Lace 


*v*     v     v    '••/'    'v    'v'    'v'    \.*°    '•«.«•'    *v*    '••.••'    *v'    v*'    *v"    "v 


'  T7ELLETO  uno  dorofilato. 
I/  Payro  unofodrcte  di  cambria  lavorate  a  gugia. 
"      Lenzuolo  uno  di  revo  di  tele  cinque  lavorato  a 

punto. 

Peza  una  de  tarnete  d'argentofacte  a  stelle. 
Lenzuolo  uno  de  tele,  quatro  lavorato  a  radexelo. 
Peze  quatro  de  radexelo  per  met t ere  ad  uno  moscheto. 
Tarneta  una  doro  et  seda  negrafacta  da  ossi. 
Pecto  uno  doro  facto  a  grupi. 
Lavoro  uno  de  rechamo  facto  a  grupi,  dove  era  suso  le 

perle  de  Madona  Biancha. 
Binda  una  lav  ar  at  a  a  poncto  de  doii  fuoci  per  uno 

lenzuolo" 

From  the  Inventory  of  Angela  and  Ippolita  Sforza-ViscontL 
Milan,  September  12,  1493. 


if 


II—  Italian  Lace 


O  other  article  of  attire  has  been  so 
hemmed  and  hedged  about  with  re- 
strictions, orders,  edicts,  and  laws  as 
this,  the  most  becoming  of  all  the 
frivolities  of  woman's  attire.  Writing 
in  the  twentieth  century,  when  the 
utilitarian  and  entirely  ungraceful  habits  worn  by  men 
have  superseded  those  rich  and  graceful  costumes  of  a 
century  or  two  ago,  one  is  led  perforce  to  grant  to  women 
the  sole  use  of  this  most  elegant  ornament.  This  is, 
however,  only  a  matter  of  evolution.  At  first  the  rich- 
est laces  were  worn  by  men,  and  there  was  not  a  single 
article  of  attire,  from  hat  to  shoes,  which  was  not  deco- 
rated with  it  in  one  form  or  another.  In  fact,  as  a 
sprightly  writer  in  the  "Quarterly  Review"  for  1852 
puts  it,  — 

—  "  we  cannot  point  to  one  single  excess  or  caprice  of  dress  which 
has  appeared  on  the  beautiful  person  of  woman,  that  has  not  had 
its  counterpart,  as  bad  or  worse,  upon  the  ugly  body  of  man.  We 
have  had  the  same  effeminate  stuffs  —  the  same  fine  laces  —  the 
same  rich  furs  —  the  same  costly  jewels.  We  have  had  as  much 
gold  and  embroidery,  and  more  tinsel  and  trumpery.  We  have 
worn  long  hair,  and  large  sleeves,  and  tight  waists  and  full  petti- 
coats. We  have  sported  stays  and  stomachers,  muffs,  earrings  and 

57 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


love-locks.  We  have  rouged  and  patched  and  padded  and  laced. 
If  they  have  lined  their  petticoats  with  whalebone,  we  have  stuffed 
our  trunk-hose  with  bran.  If  they  have  wreathed  lace  ruffs  around 
their  lovely  throats,  we  have  tied  them  about  our  clumsy  legs. 
In  short,  wherever  we  look  into  the  history  of  mankind,  whether 
through  the  annals  of  courtiers,  the  evidence  of  painters,  or  the 
researches  of  the  learned,  we  find  two  animals  equally  fond  of 
dress,  but  only  one  worth  bestowing  it  on,  which  the  Greek  fathers 
doubtless  knew  as  well  as  we." 

The  desire  for  the  enrichment  of  the  plain  edges  of 
garments  manifested  itself  first  in  embroideries  of  silk  in 
various  colours,  mixed,  if  possible,  with  gold  or  silver 
threads.  This  gave  way  to  "  cut-work,"  as  it  was  called, 
where  the  material  on  which  the  embroidery  was  wrought 
was  cut  away,  leaving  open-work  spaces.  So  perishable 
is  this  costly  product,  lace,  that  many  of  the  earliest 
specimens  have  ceased  to  exist  by  the  mere  falling  away 
of  the  materials  of  which  they  were  composed,  so  that  a 
great  source  of  information  as  to  the  periods  when  cer- 
tain laces  were  used,  and  how,  is  the  pictures  of  the 
times.  Cut- work  to  embellish  sleeves  and  the  necks  of 
garments  was  shown  as  early  as  1400. 

The  earliest  cut-work,  which  is  called  Punto  Tagliato, 
had  for  its  foundation  coarse  woven  linen.  Elaborate 
patterns  were  buttonholed  on  this,  and  the  linen  cut 
away,  so  that  it  became  more  and  more  elaborate  and 
ornate.  The  latest  stage  of  this  cut-work  was  made, 
not  on  coarse  linen,  but  on  fine  lawn,  known  as  "  Quin- 
tain "  from  the  town  in  Brittany  where  it  was  made. 
Over  the  lawn,  which  was  fastened  to  a  light  wooden 
frame,  were  stretched  threads  which  crossed  each  other 
58 


ITALIAN    LACE 


back  and  forth,  and  which  were  sewed  to  the  lawn  with 
buttonholing,  such  parts  of  the  lawn  as  were  unneces- 
sary being  cut  away. 

Little  by  little  new  stitches  were  tried,  different  de- 
signs were  introduced,  and  the  first  work  which  bore 
any  resemblance  to  lace  and  eventually  grew  into  its 
finer  forms  was  called  "Drawn  Work,"  or  Punto  Tirato, 
some  of  it  being  of  great  delicacy  and  beauty. 

Punto  a  Reticella,  or  "  Greek  lace,"  as  it  was  com- 
monly called,  was  made  in  both  insertions  and  edgings. 
It  was  really  the  first  needle  point,  as  well  as  the  first 
lace  ;  since  both  cut-  and  drawn- work,  which  had  pre- 
ceded it,  were  more  lace-like  material  than  real  lace. 
Greek  Points  or  Reticellas  were  made  in  abundance 
from  1480  to  1625.  Not  only  did  they  decorate  vest- 
ments and  altar-cloths,  but  whole  shrouds  were  made  of 
them  as  well.  The  earliest  of  these  points — made  in 
stiff  geometric  designs,  such  as  were  used  in  Gothic 
architecture — were  at  first  threads  buttonholed  over, 
the  foundation  being  cut  away,  or  threads  being  drawn 
out,  and  little  loops  called  "  picots  "  or  "  purls "  being 
set  along  at  intervals.  Later  the  varieties  of  pattern 
became  greatly  extended,  wheels  were  introduced,  and 
triangles  with  inside  ornaments  of  great  beauty.  De- 
signs alternated  in  the  points,  giving  it  great  variety,  and 
toward  the  end  of  its  career  the  patterns  lost  their 
geometric  tendency,  and,  as  far  as  the  limited  nature  of 
the  work  would  allow,  followed  the  style  of  design 
popular  in  other  laces  of  the  Renaissance.  In  some  of 

59 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

the  richest  of  the  old  Greek  Points,  to  add  to  their 
beauty,  silk  threads  of  different  colours  were  introduced 
as  well  as  gold  and  silver.  The  best  means  of  studying 
this  lace  is  in  the  splendid  portraits  of  the  period,  when 
artists  delighted  to  linger  over  every  loop  and  purl,  and 
rendered  the  lace  with  a  fidelity  which  betrayed  their 
appreciation  of  it. 

Although  it  was  freely  worn  in  France,  Germany, 
England,  Spain,  and  Flanders,  little  of  it  was  made  in 
any  of  these  countries.  In  its  home,  Greece,  and  in  the 
Ionian  Isles  and  Italy,  enough  was  made  to  supply  what 
was  needed  in  all  these  other  countries.  As  finer  laces 
were  made,  the  Reticettas  fell  into  disuse,  and  their  pro- 
duction declined.  With  each  succeeding  year,  under 
the  skilful  fingers  and  in  the  artistic  atmosphere  of 
Venice,  all  work  became  more  and  more  beautiful,  and 
the  next  step  forward  was  Punto  in  Aria, — literally 
"  point  in  air,"  showing  the  departure  from  cut- work,  or 
drawn-work,  in  having  no  cloth  or  thread  foundation 
upon  which  the  pattern  was  worked.  It  was  in  reality 
what  we  call  "lace,"  worked  on  a  parchment  pattern 
upon  which  the  design  was  clearly  drawn,  and  enriched 
with  many  very  beautiful  stitches,  the  various  parts  of 
the  design  being  connected  with  "  brides,"  or  bars,  made 
of  buttonholing  and  ornamented  with  loops  of  thread 
and  sometimes  with  tiny  wheels. 

It  was  not  difficult  to  trace  how,  little  by  little,  this 
lace  became  the  celebrated  Punto  Tagliato  a  Fogliami, 
which  was  made  in  the  same  manner  as  Punto  in  Aria, 
GO 


LATK  XV[.—  Kl*anor  of  Toledo,  wife  of 
Coniino  II,  ./'wAv  of  l-"li»;-n<-i',  dli-d  l~>>r.'. 
Showlnif  chemisette  of  drawn-work  t'cry  beautiful 
in  design,  and  net  of  knotted  gold  threads.  Portrait 
6  Bromino. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


but  made  richer  and  heavier  by  the  use  of  heavy  threads 
in  some  portions  of  the  pattern,  so  that  the  outlines  and 
edges  were  much  raised.  This  thread  or  fine  cord  used 
to  outline  the  pattern  in  needle-point  laces  is  called 
cordonnet.  Sometimes  the  outlining  cord  is  still  further 
enriched  by  loops  of  thread,  purls,  or  other  ornaments 
which  were  then  known  as  "  Crowns,"  or  Couronnes, 
when  they  came  on  the  edge  of  the  lace,  and  as  Fleurs 
Volantes  when  they  came  in  the  body  of  the  lace.  The 
variety  of  complicated  stitches  used  in  the  flat  parts  of 
the  lace  are  without  number  and  of  exquisite  beauty. 
This  rich  point  is  the  famous  lace  known  as  the  Gros 
Point  de  f^enise,  or  "  Venetian  Rose  Point,"  which  was 
the  most  sought-after  and  celebrated  lace  of  the  seven- 
teenth century.  No  cavalier  was  fully  dressed  without 
the  use  of  some  of  it  in  his  costume,  and  no  grande 
dame  hesitated  to  adorn  herself  with  it  for  any  ceremo- 
nial occasion.  The  pictures  of  the  times  show  the  use 
of  this  lace  when  it  was  at  its  greatest  beauty,  and  when 
the  artist  prided  himself  upon  the  fidelity  with  which  he 
copied  it. 

Besides  these  four  there  were  two  other  varieties  of 
lace  made  in  Italy  during  the  fifteenth  century, —  one  a 
coarse  knotted  lace,  Punto  a  Groppo,  made  of  cords 
similar  to  what  is  known  as  Macrame.  Then  there  was 
the  darned  netting  called  Lads,  in  which  patterns  were 
stitched  upon  a  lace  ground  already  prepared.  This 
was  not  used  for  clothing,  but  for  domestic  purpose, 
bed-linen,  curtains,  etc. 

61 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


There  are  so  many  technical  terms  used  in  lace,  and 
their  meanings  and  the  ways  in  which  they  are  applied 
have  so  changed  with  the  years,  that  it  is  necessary  to 
give  several  of  them  before  proceeding  further. 

For  instance,  we  now  apply  the  term  Guipure  to  all 
laces  having  large,  showy  patterns  with  coarse  grounds, 
requiring  no  brides  to  hold  the  pattern  together.  Ori- 
ginally Guipure  referred  to  lace  made  of  gold  and  silver 
cords,  and  no  doubt  the  white  and  gold  lace  worn  by 
Berengaria  at  the  coronation  of  Richard  III  was  this 
same  Guipure.  Among  other  items  of  expense  for  the 
coronation  ceremony  it  is  stated  that  the  Queen  wore  a 
mantle  of  cloth  of  gold  with  trimmings  of  lace  of  white 
and  gold.  This  lace  was  extremely  costly,  and  could  be 
worn  only  on  the  garments  of  the  rich,  and  was  sub- 
jected to  many  sumptuary  decrees.  It  was  ultimately 
made  in  thread,  which  material  showed  itself  admirably 
adapted  for  making  an  ornamental  trimming  of  great 
beauty.  Early  in  the  seventeenth  century  when  lace 
was  in  such  great  demand,  a  finer  quality  was  made 
with  grounds,  or  network  mesh  into  which  the  pattern 
was  worked.  Such  laces  are  called  a  rcscau. 

Guipure  lace  was  made  either  with  bobbins  or  with 
the  needle,  sometimes  with  both,  as  when  the  large 
flowing  pattern  was  first  made  on  a  pillow  with  bobbins, 
and  the  clusters  of  flowers,  leaves,  and  ornaments  were 
filled  in  with  stitches  worked  with  a  needle.  The 
English  term  for  this  old  Guipure  was  "  Parchment 
lace,"  and  as  such  it  is  frequently  noted  in  inventories. 
62 


~T»LATi:    XVU.  --"  Pntilo    'in   nria.n     Italian 
nerdlr  point.      Early  X't.cti-i-nth  Ci-ntnrtf. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


This  same  name  was  made  to  cover  a  trimming  made 
of  twisted  silk  cords,  —  what  in  modern  times  is  known 
as  passementerie. 

The  old  silver  and  gold  Guipure  looked  much  like 
modern  passementerie  from  the  coarse  character  of  the 
cords  which  composed  it.  It  was  made  all  over  Italy : 
in  Milan,  Florence,  Genoa,  Lucca,  and  Venice.  At 
this  time,  the  sixteenth  century,  Italy  was  the  head- 
quarters for  all  the  rich  and  sumptuous  articles  of  dress 
which  decked  the  persons  of  both  men  and  women. 
Silks,  velvets,  and  damask  were  made  in  her  cities,  en- 
riched with  threads  of  silver  and  gold,  and  bearing  that 
"  stand  alone  "  quality  of  which  we  have  heard  our 
grandmothers  speak.  The  Italian  cities  were  rich  and 
prosperous.  Love  of  beauty,  ever  a  factor  in  the  Italian 
heart,  sought  expression  in  paint,  in  stone,  in  stately 
architecture,  in  dress,  and  in  small  refinements  and 
ornaments.  Artists  did  not  consider  it  beneath  their 
abilities  to  design  patterns  of  jewellery  and  linger  lov- 
ingly on  the  setting  of  a  gem.  Indeed,  several  artists 
whose  names  added  lustre  to  Italy's  greatness  began  to 
work  as  goldsmiths'  apprentices.  Such  an  one  was 
Ghirlandajo,  the  "garland-maker,"  who  wrought,  in 
gold,  flowers  as  fine  and  delicate  as  a  hair.  Alessandro 
Botticelli  has  clothed  his  figures  dancing  on  the  hillside 
in  "  Spring  "  in  gauzes  fine  as  lace  and  almost  as  beau- 
tiful. The  rich  and  magnificent  viewed  with  alarm  the 
encroachments  upon  their  prerogatives.  The  usurpa- 
tion, by  the  prosperous  middle  classes,  of  those  things 

63 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

which  those  bom  in  the  purple  considered  their  own 
prerogatives,  gave  rise  to  sumptuary  laws,  which  sought 
to  regulate  the  expenditure  of  those  who  wished  to 
lavish  too  much  money  upon  splendid  gauds.  Perhaps 
the  earliest  sumptuary  law  framed  in  regard  to  women's 
dress  was  that  passed  in  Rome,  215  B.  c.  and  called  the 
Oppian  Law.  This  provided  that  no  woman  should 
possess  more  than  half  an  ounce  of  gold,  wear  a  dress  of 
different  colours,  or  ride  in  a  vehicle  in  the  city,  nor 
within  a  mile  of  it  except  on  occasions  of  public  reli- 
gious ceremonies.  This  order  was  repealed  twenty 
years  later.  In  more  modern  times  the  first  important 
sumptuary  laws  in  Italy  were  those  of  Frederick  II 
(1194-1250). 

The  Great  Council  forbade  the  use  of  any  trimming 
which  cost  more  than  ten  lire  in  all. 

In  the  next  century  (1348)  colours  were  a  matter 
against  which  laws  were  framed,  and  neither  dark  green 
nor  black  gowns  were  allowed  to  be  worn  in  the  morn- 
ing ;  while  in  1330  edicts  had  been  passed  allowing  only 
embroidered  figures  on  dresses,  not  painted  ones.  By 
1414,  however,  the  manufacture  of  gold  lace  had  so  far 
progressed  that  the  horses  in  a  state  procession  at 
Venice  had  housings  of  gold  lace.  Of  course  this  was 
of  a  less  rich  character  than  that  used  on  clothes. 

Prohibitions  of  gold  embroidered  and  trimmed  gar- 
ments were  passed  in  1481,  but,  notwithstanding  this, 
the  manufacture  and  wearing  of  gold  lace  continued. 
About  1500,  Hercules  I,  Duke  of  Ferrara,  created  the 
64 


. 

•   ,--?/.     i  K   ^    i'1  <- <'  ^-  < 

x*' 


"DLATE  XVlll.—Gros  Point  de  Venise.    Six- 
teenth Century.     In  process  of  construction. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


Order  of  the  Golden  Spur,  and  to  the  gift  of  the  spur 
was  added  a  sword,  a  mantle  trimmed  with  gold  lace, 
and  a  grant  of  money.  With  these  emoluments  a 
quantity  of  service  was  expected.  About  ten  years 
before  this,  on  January  26,  1491,  at  the  wedding  fes- 
tivities at  Milan  held  in  honour  of  the  marriage  of 
Lodovico  Sforza  and  Beatrice  d'Este,  the  fetes  were  a 
succession  of  most  gorgeous  pageants,  in  which  men  and 
women  were  robed  and  jewelled  with  a  richness  unpar- 
alleled even  in  the  days  of  the  Renaissance.  In  a 
tournament  which  was  one  of  the  crowning  festivities 
of  the  week  the  combatants  entered  the  lists  in  com- 
panies, clad  in  fancy  costumes,  and  bearing  the  devices 
which  were  the  fashion  of  the  day.  The  Mantuans,  a 
troop  of  twenty  horsemen,  were  clad  in  green  velvet 
and  gold  lace,  and  bore  in  their  hands  golden  lances  and 
olive  boughs. 

The  old  burgomasters  of  Florence  made  a  firm  stand 
against  indulgences  in  dress  and  ornament.  They 
aimed  their  strictures  against  the  frivolities  of  women's 
attire,  though  the  fop  of  the  day  was  as  much  bedecked 
in  his  way  as  the  belle  was  in  hers.  Dante  aims  some 
of  his  scarcasms  at  the  rich  chains  and  crosses  worn 
about  the  neck  and  over  the  doublet,  and  the  girdle  of 
gold  or  silver,  studded  with  stones  and  fantastically 
wrought,  with  which  the  good  citizen  begirt  himself 
instead  of  with  leather,  as  he  did  in  earlier  days.  For 
the  guidance  of  the  feminine  part  of  the  Republic  of 
Florence  were  these  laws  framed  at  the  time  when  the 
5  65 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


only  lace  so  far  known  was  that  twisted  of  strands  of 
gold  and  silver. 

"  No  woman  of  any  condition  whatever  may  dare  or  presume  in 
any  way  in  the  city,  suburbs,  or  district  of  Florence  to  wear  pearls, 
mother-of-pearl,  or  precious  stones,  on  the  head  or  shoulders,  or 
on  any  other  part  of  the  person,  or  on  any  dress  which  may  be 
worn  upon  the  person. 

Item.  She  may  not  dare  or  presume  to  wear  any  brocade  of 
gold  or  silver,  or  stuff  gilt  or  silvered,  embroidered  or  trimmed 
with  ribbons,  neither  on  her  shoulders  nor  on  her  head,  nor  on  any 
garment  as  described  above. 

Item.  She  may  not  dare  or  presume  to  wear  more  than  bne 
pound  of  silver  in  the  shape  of  garlands  and  buttons,  or  in  any 
other  way,  on  the  head  or  shoulders,  or  otherwise  as  has  been  said 
above ;  except  that  besides  the  said  pound  of  silver  she  may  wear  a 
silver  belt  of  fifteen  ounces1  weight. 

Item.  She  may  not  dare  or  presume  to  wear  any  slashings,  in 
any  robe  or  dress,  neither  at  the  bosom  nor  at  the  sleeves,  nor  to 
cuffs  or  collars,  larger  than  the  seventh  of  a  yard  according  to  the 
measure  of  the  yard  of  the  wool-workers,  and  these  slashings  shall 
not  be  lined  with  skins  either  of  wild  or  tame  beasts,  or  with 
silk,  but  onlv  with  woolen  or  linen,  nor  must  they  be  trimmed 
with  fringe  either  of  silk,  silver,  or  gold,  or  gilt  or  silvered. 

Item.  She  must  not  wear  on  her  fingers  more  than  three  rings 
in  all,  and  the  said  rings  can  have  no  more  than  one  pearl  or 
precious  stone  in  each,  and  the  said  rings  must  not  exceed  the 
weight  of  silver  allowed  above. 

Item.  No  person  in  the  city,  suburbs,  or  district  of  Florence 
shall  permit  himself  or  presume  to  give  in  any  way  to  any  woman 
any  kind  of  collar  or  buckle,  or  garland,  or  brooch  of  pearls,  or  of 
gold,  of  silver,  or  of  any  other  precious  stone  or  similar  thing,  by 
whatever  name  it  may  be  called. 

Item.  No  individual,  tailor,  dressmaker,  or  furrier,  shall  dare 
or  presume  to  cut,  arrange,  or  line  any  of  the  said  scarves,  dress  or 
sleeves,  prohibited  garments,  nor  make  any  of  the  things  forbidden 
by  the  present  law." 

66 


TtLATE  XIX.— A.    tiros  l\>int  <la  \'eni.^.    N/.c- 
teenth  Century.    B.  Punto  tayliato  afoyliitml. 
Seventeenth  Century.     "  Rose  Point."     Both  speci- 
mens are  needle  point. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


Yet  the  list  of  articles  enumerated  in  the  fourteenth 
century,  as  belonging  to  the  trousseau  of  a  Florentine 
bride,  forms  a  curious  commentary,  since  the  rich  stuffs, 
damasks,  brocades,  and  velvets  are  calculated  by  the 
pound  weight,  and  "  great  pearles "  are  given  with 
unstinted  lavishness.  Yet  there  is  the  letter  of  the 
law  observed  in  a  "  gold  ring  with  one  large  pearl." 

It  can  readily  be  seen  how  heavily  such  laws  as  this 
would  fall  upon  the  workers  in  gold  and  silver  thread. 
Some  of  them  left  Italy  and  settled  in  other  countries, 
where  they  pursued  their  trade  and  instilled  a  demand 
for  these  luxuries.  Others  remained  at  home  and  es- 
caped the  edict  by  making  the  lace  of  flax  thread,  coarse 
at  first,  heavy  and  raised,  and  growing  finer  and  finer 
with  the  demand  till  it  resulted  in  the  exquisitely  fine 
flat  Point  which  became  the  pride  of  Venice  and  the 
desire  of  all  the  world.  Both  sexes  made  use  of  lace  in 
their  personal  attire,  and  even  before  there  was  any 
distinct  record  of  its  export  the  fame  of  Venetian  lace 
had  spread  far.  But  while  Venetian  laces  were  in  great 
demand  both  at  home  and  abroad,  and  the  revenues 
brought  in  by  them  were  large,  they  still  met  with  oppo- 
sition in  their  own  country.  Officers  of  the  Republic 
issued  several  ordinances  against  the  wearing  of  Punto 
in  Aria  in  towns  under  pain  of  a  fine  of  200  ducats. 

Another  sumptuary  law  of  1514  lays  down  the  law 
regarding  the  cut  and  character  of  "  ladies'  cloaks,  laces, 
gloves  embroidered  with  gold  and  silk,  embroideries 
generally,  fans,  gondolas,  and  sedan  chairs."  In  order, 

67 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


however,  that  Henry  III,  King  of  Navarre,  who  after- 
wards became  Henry  IV  of  France,  might  be  duly 
impressed  when  visiting  Venice  in  1574,  ladies  were 
permitted  and  even  urged  to  wear  all  sorts  of  cos- 
tumes, jewellery,  ornaments,  and  laces,  "even  such  as 
were  prohibited  by  the  ordinances." 

Curiously  enough,  lace  does  not  appear  in  the  pro- 
grammes of  any  of  the  guilds,  yet  it  was  one  of  the  most 
important  industries  of  Italy.  Beside  being  made  in 
nunneries  and  secular  houses,  the  great  ladies  themselves 
devoted  much  time  and  attention  to  making  it.  The 
production  of  it  in  private  houses  continued  to  the  latter 
part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  for  De  la  Haye,  travel- 
ling in  Italy,  notices  that  "  when  the  ladies  are  at  home 
they  entertain  themselves  by  making  their  Punto  in  Aria, 
which  are  the  Points  de  Venise  so  much  valued  in  France." 

To  assist  not  only  the  convent  workers  who  had  and 
maintained  with  pride  their  own  patterns,  but  others  as 
well,  books  were  brought  out  containing  directions  and 
patterns  planned  particularly  for  "  noble-minded  ladies." 

The  earliest-dated  pattern-book  is  of  1527,  and  con- 
tains patterns  only.  It  was  published  at  Cologne  by 
O.  Foelix.  There  are,  however,  undated  pattern-books 
which  have  come  down  from  monasteries,  and  they  show 
patterns  for  edgings  of  Rcticella  or  drawn-work  as  well 
as  insertions,  and  so  extremely  beautiful  that  they  vie 
in  delicacy  with  the  needle  point,  or  Punto  in  Aria. 

In  1537  Zoppino  published  his  book  of  patterns, 
"  ancient  and  modern."  The  use  of  lace  became  more 
68 


lOLATE  XX.— Called  "  Leader  of  the  choir  of 
Henry  IV."     Collar  of  Gros  Point  de  Venice, 
Supposed  to  be  by  Van  Dyrk  (1.599-1641  }• 


ITALIAN    LACE 


and  more  extended,  and  the  patterns  numerous.  While 
the  general  character  remained  the  same,  there  were 
certain  stitches  guarded  as  secrets  by  the  convents 
where  they  were  invented. 

As  early  as  1550  Matio  Pagani  brought  out : 

"  A  good  example  of  the  laudable  desire  of  noble-minded  ladies 
to  learn  the  art  of  making  Guipure  laces,  with  31  engravings." 

In  1546  Andreoni  Vavassore  (called  Guadagnini) 
first  published  his — 

"  New  Universal  work,  entitled  the  Crown  of  Embroideries,  in 
which  worthy  ladies  and  maidens  will  find  various  patterns  for 
making  collars  of  shifts,  covers  of  cushions,  silk  coifs  of  many 
kinds,  and  a  large  number  of  works  for  embroiderers." 

The  idea  of  attracting  the  mother's  attention  by  pro- 
viding occupation  for  her  daughters  seems  first  to  have 
occurred  to  John  Ostaus.  In  1567  he  produced  : 

"  A  most  delightful  way  of  occupying  your  daughters  with 
work,  such  as  the  chaste  Roman  Lucretia  gave  her  maidens,  and 
upon  which  they  were  found  employed  with  her  by  Tarquin  and 
her  husband  Collatinus,  as  described  in  the  first  book  of  the 
Decades  of  Livy." 

The  most  famous  lace  book  in  both  Venice  and 
France  was  that  published  by  Federico  Vinciolo  at  Paris 
in  1587.  It  went  through  many  editions,  and  was  in 
two  volumes,  the  first  devoted  entirely  to  cut-work, 
the  beautiful  patterns  for  which  are  shown  in  white  on 
a  black  ground,  and  the  second  volume  showing  lacis, 
or  darned  work,  most  of  the  designs  being  in  squares, 
with  counted  stitches  like  modern  worsted  work. 

69 


<xxxxxx*x*^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

As  early  as  1596  patterns  were  published  by  Giacomo 
Franco  for  lace  made  with  bobbins,  suitable  for  sheets 
and  handkerchiefs.  There  were  many  other  books 
showing  designs  for  cut-work,  drawn-work,  and  the 
Gros-point,  which  was  worked  on  parchment. 

The  cut-work  was  made  so  beautiful  that  it  became 
greatly  in  demand,  and  was  introduced  into  France, 
where  it  became  very  popular.  As  the  making  of 
other  lace  trimmings  arrived  at  a  greater  state  of 
perfection,  the  use  of  cut-work  declined,  but  during 
the  whole  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  it 
remained  in  fashion.  When  no  longer  popular  for 
dress  and  outer  garments  it  was  used  as  borders  for 
linen  underwear  and  household  linen.  Of  course  the 
high  Church  dignitaries  had  first  choice  of  the  exquisite 
convent  laces.  One  set  of  nuns  might  begin  the  mag- 
nificent altar  laces  or  those  for  the  ecclesiastical  robes, 
and  die  before  their  completion.  But  there  were 
always  plenty  of  willing  and  industrious  fingers  to  take 
the  work  right  up  and  carry  it  on.  Nor  were  these 
laces  confined  to  personal  decoration  for  Cardinal  or 
Bishop.  In  the  inventory  of  Giovanni  Battista  Valicr, 
Bishop  of  Cividale  di  Bellemo,  written  in  1598,  mention 
is  made  of  five  pieces  of  bed-linen  of  needlework  Point, 
"  ancient  works."  There  were  pillow-cases  of  the  same 
lace,  besides  napkins  of  similar  work  equally  old. 

In  the  sumptuary  laws  of  Venice  in  the  years  101(5, 
10:5:5,  and  1(5:54,  the  use  of  this  lace  was  proscribed.  Vet 
fashion  circumvented  these  laws  and  retained  the  use  of 
70 


?»/^?-  : 


>S>-.V-     ~:~       •'••;#!;     *m*\?vt, 

•,.*>£*  ~*:±^&  •••*;•' &''. '.. .^ik 


*^r^it;;.^. '*^a''^^'-;i^ir'*;;T:4 


f>LATE    XXI. —  Point    de    Vunise   a   lUsemi. 
Needle-point  lace.     Seventeenth  Century. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


the  lace  even  though  there  was  a  penalty  of  200  ducats 
for  each  offence. 

Reticella  was  very  ornamentally  used,  early  in  the 
fifteenth  century,  by  Venetian  and  Florentine  ladies,  to 
veil  their  necks,  when  the  fashion  of  the  day  called  for 
their  gowns  to  be  open.  The  perfection  at  which  this 
lace  arrived  is  shown  in  some  of  the  accompanying  illus- 
trations, and  it  seems  a  pity  that  change  of  fashion  caused 
its  decline. 

Punto  Tagliato  a  Fogliami,  or  flowered  lace,  acquired 
a  greater  renown  than  any  other  made  at  Venice,  on  ac- 
count of  the  beauty  of  its  design.  Everybody,  whether 
of  the  Church  or  the  world,  strove  to  own  some  of  it, 
and  men  as  well  as  women  hoarded  it  for  love  of  its 
beauty  as  well  as  for  the  pleasure  of  wearing  it.  The 
Doge  Francesco  Morosini  (1618-1694)  had  wonderful 
laces  of  this  make,  which  are  still  jealously  guarded  by 
his  family.  Some  of  them  are  shown  in  his  portraits, 
and  portraits  of  other  Venetian  noblemen  who  lived 
from  the  seventeenth  to  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth 
century  depict  how  highly  this  lace  was  esteemed. 

The  surplices  of  ecclesiastics  were  rich  and  costly  gar- 
ments, and  there  are  many  records  of  their  cost.  In 
1769,  more  than  1,896  lire  ($379.20)  were  spent  for  the 
lace  alone  on  two  of  these  garments  for  the  "  Venerable 
Scuola  di  San  Maria  della  Carita." 

The  festivals  and  all  ceremonial  occasions  were  oppor- 
tunities seized  by  the  beauty-loving  Italians  for  the  dis- 
play of  their  richest  finery.  The  entrance  of  the  Doge 

71 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

Luigi  Mocenigo  into  office,  April  18,  1763,  is  described 
by  an  anonymous  contemporary.  The  share  of  the 
Dogaressa  in  the  festivities  seems  to  have  been  of  equal 
importance.  She  went  to  the  palace  by  water,  accom- 
panied by  her  mother  and  many  other  female  relatives. 
Seated  upon  a  dais  in  the  great  hall,  she  received  the 
congratulations  of  the  members  of  the  Electoral  College 
and  of  others  present.  The  festivities  lasted  three  days, 
and  on  one  evening  there  was  a  ball,  during  which  the 
Dogaressa  danced  a  minuet.  Her  outer  robe  was  cloth 
of  gold,  like  that  of  the  Doge.  The  underpetticoat 
showed  in  front  where  the  robe  flowed  aside,  and  was 
smothered  in  floral  sprays  of  gold  lace.  On  her  head 
she  wore  a  lace  veil  so  disposed  as  to  look  like  a  berretta, 
though  lace  lappets  fell  from  it  on  either  side  of  the 
face.  The  costumes  of  the  ladies  present  showed  that 
the  use  of  gold  lace  and  jewellery  was  not  diminishing. 

The  appearance  of  both  men  and  women  during  the 
Renaissance  in  Italy  was  more  beautiful  and  polished 
than  among  any  other  nation  in  Europe.  Their  dwell- 
ings surpassed  in  comfort  and  luxury  any  of  the  habita- 
tions of  the  noblemen  of  northern  Europe.  The  style 
of  dress  varied  continually,  and  nowhere  did  it  assume 
such  importance.  Even  while  the  Church  was  gather- 
ing in  the  richest  work,  beautiful  graduated  fronts  were 
being  made  for  the  great  Neapolitan  ladies,  showing  the 
demand  there  was  for  these  sumptuous  trimmings. 

The  earliest  Italian  inventory  which  gives  the  names 
of  the  laces  in  vogue  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century 
72 


ILA  TK  XXI J. — Gold  lace  edging  robe  of  dam- 
ask.  Sixteenth  Century.   Italian,  boblrin-made. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


is  that  of  the  rich  and  powerful  Sforza  family,  dated 
April,  1493.  A  division  of  family  property  took  place, 
in  the  records  of  which  not  only  the  jewels  are  men- 
tioned, but  rich  stuffs,  borders,  veils,  fine  network  (Reti- 
cella),  Points,  and  Bone  lace,  all  of  which  are  mentioned 
in  the  pattern-books  of  the  time. 

The  notorious  Lucrezia  Borgia,  married  for  her  third 
husband  Alfonso  d'Este,  brother  of  Beatrice  d'Este,  con- 
nections of  the  Sforza  family,  the  division  of  whose 
property  has  been  spoken  of  just  above.  The  marriage 
ceremonies  were  most  lavish  and  prolonged,  both  at 
Rome  and  at  Ferrara,  the  home  of  the  bridegroom. 
The  bride's  dowry  consisted  of  300,000  ducats,1  100,000 
in  gold  being  paid  down  in  Ferrara,  and  200,000  being 
spent  in  clothes,  plate,  jewels,  and  fine  linen,  costly 
hangings,  and  trappings  for  horses  and  mules.  Among 
the  garments  are  mentioned  200  camoras?  each  of  which 
was  worth  100  ducats,  with  sleeves  and  gold  fringes 
valued  at  30  ducats  apiece.  The  records  of  the  d'Este 
family  give  full  accounts  of  the  clothes  worn  not  only 
by  the  bride  and  her  ladies,  but  of  the  bridegroom,  his 
family,  and  the  attendants.  Amidst  all  this  gorgeous- 
ness  of  damask,  velvet,  satin,  brocade,  and  cloths  of 
silver  and  gold,  only  one  mention  of  lace  is  made. 
When  the  bridegroom  rode  out  of  Ferrara  to  meet  his 
bride,  his  father  accompanied  him  and  wore  "  a  suit  of 
grey  velvet  covered  with  scales  of  beaten  gold,  worth  at 

1  A  ducat  is  worth  about  11  £  francs,  or  roughly  speaking  about  $2.30. 

2  The  camera  was  a  sort  of  coat. 

73 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


least  6,000  ducats,   a   black-velvet  cap  trimmed  with 
gold  lace  and  white  feathers,  and  grey  leather  gaiters." 

While  it  is  true  that  records  still  in  existence  show 
that  lace  was  made  and  used  before  1500,  it  was  by  no 
means  such  an  ornament  to  costume  as  it  became  half  a 
century  later. 

When  Catharine  de  Medici  came  as  a  bride  to  France 
in  1533,  the  lace  she  brought  with  her  was  Reticella  and 
Punto  Gotico.  Her  ruff,  which  was  at  first  a  modest 
affair,  succeeded  the  chemisette  of  drawn-work  which 
was  used  by  Italian  ladies  at  an  earlier  period. 

The  first  portraits  painted  of  Catharine  after  her 
arrival  in  France,  by  Clouet,  who  was  then  court 
painter,  show  her  in  a  ruff  of  Reticella  of  very  simple 
design,  while  a  portrait  of  her  daughter  Claudia,  painted 
between  1550  and  1560,  shows  nearly  the  same  style  of 
dress  as  Catharine's,  except  that  the  ruff  entirely  sur- 
rounds the  throat  of  Claudia,  while  her  mother's  is  open 
in  front.  Catharine's  trousseau  was  very  fully  furnished 
forth  with  all  the  richest  stuffs  Milan,  Venice,  Genoa, 
and  Florence  could  supply.  Among  the  ornaments  she 
had  was  a  set  of  especially  magnificent  pearls,  "the 
largest  and  finest,"  Brantome  tells  us,  "that  were  ever 
seen  in  such  a  quantity  ;  which  at  a  later  period  the 
queen  gave  to  her  daughter-in-law,  the  Queen  of  Scot- 
land." Mary  Stuart  wore  these  pearls  at  Amboise  when 
she  was  the  newly  made  wife  of  Francis  II.  Her  hair 
fell  upon  her  shoulders  in  rich  curls,  and  she  had  a  stiff 
ruff  of  lace  about  her  throat. 
74 


TDLATE  XXIII.  —TlmniaK  Francis  Carl'jnanof 

Sttroi/.  Hf  i/'cara  col/iu'  mid  cuffs  of  needle 
point,  "  Vim  Dyck  style,"  1<>34-  Portrait  hy  l\ui 
Dyck. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


Nor  were  the  ladies  the  only  ones  who  changed  the 
fashions  of  their  garments  radically  and  often.  The 
splendid  gorget  ruffs  of  Punto  Gotico  were  succeeded 
by  the  square  collar  bands  and  edgings,  or  by  the  collar 
wholly  composed  of  the  costly  Gros  Point  de  f^enise. 

The  portrait  of  Francis  Carignan,  Prince  of  Savoy, 
painted  in  1634,  shows  the  Van  Dyck  Point  in  the 
height  of  its  beauty  and  in  the  richest  Venetian  Point. 
Points  were  succeeded  by  lace  with  a  straight  edge, 
which  was  made  in  the  most  beautiful  patterns  of  flow- 
ered laces  (punto  tagliato  a  fogliami)  about  1664,  both 
in  Italy  and  France. 

The  fashion  for  wearing  it  was  straight  about  the 
corsage,  which  displayed  its  beauty  to  the  best  possible 
advantage,  and  also  threw  into  relief  the  lovely  shoulders 
it  encircled. 

Fortunately  for  us,  the  dark-eyed  beauties  of  Italy 
still  live  on  the  immortal  canvases  of  her  painters,  and 
present  a  picture  vivid  almost  to  reality  of  those  splen- 
did days  which  we  have  learned  to  call  "the  Golden 
Age  of  Italy." 

Reference  List  of  Italian  Laces 

PUNTO  TAGLIATO,  cut-work. 

PUNTO  TIRATO,  drawn-work  combined  with  cut-work. 

PUNTO  A  RETICELLA,  Greek  lace,  or  drawn-work 
afterward  worked  with  a  needle  in  bands  or  points. 

PUNTO  IN  ARIA,  "  points  in  air,"  having  no  foundation 
of  either  cut-  or  drawn-work. 

75 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

PUNTO    TAGLIATO    A    FOGLIAMI,    flowered   laCC,  knOWH 

variously  as  Venice  Point,  Gros  Point  de  Venise,  Rose 
Point  or  raised  Point,  made  in  silk,  white  or  coloured,  or 
flax  thread. 

PUNTO  GOTICO  is  reticella  or  Greek  lace  of  the  earli- 
est style,  when  the  patterns  were  copied  from  the  Gothic 
architecture  then  in  vogue. 

PUNTO  BURANO  is  the  lace  made  on  the  Island  of 
Burano,  not  far  from  Venice.  Much  of  this  beautiful 
fabric  was  made  there  during  the  eighteenth  century, 
and  this  particular  variety  has  a  reseau  or  network 
ground,  not  the  brides  or  bar  ground.  This  network 
was  made  entirely  with  the  needle.  From  this  fact  the 
lace  is  not  unlike  both  Brussels  and  Alen^on  lace,  which 
have  similar  grounds.  The  old  lace  was  extremely 
beautiful,  and  was  made  writh  the  finest  thread.  The 
making  of  this  lace  was  revived  in  1872,  and  the  Royal 
Lace  Schools  are  situated  on  the  island.  Only  the 
choicest  laces  are  made  there  now,  but  they  are  no 
longer  exclusively  Italian  in  character,  since  beside  the 
Venetian  Point,  flowered  laces,  and  Venetian  Rose  Point, 
Brussels,  Alencon,  and  Point  (FAnglctcrre  are  copied 
there  with  the  greatest  skill. 

POINT  LACE.  In  Venetian  laces,  as  in  those  of  every 
other  country,  the  term  "  point  lace  "  grew  to  mean 
that  the  lace  was  of  the  finest  quality,  and  made  with  a 
needle  and  thread.  Connoisseurs,  however,  now  use  the 
term  "  point "  to  indicate  lace  of  a  superior  quality  and 
exquisite  design,  whether  needle  or  bobbin,  so  that  the 
70 


,^m^''.^«^'\,~ 


T>LATE  XXIV.—  Italian  boWni-mndi-   lap/,,/, 
showing  "snowy  (/round. "  Etyhtcenth  Crnlury. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


Venetian  bobbin  lace,  Brussels  lace,  and  Valenciennes 
are  called  "  points,"  as  much  as  the  needle-made  laces. 

THE  VENETIAN  ROSE  POINT,  with  its  varied  outlines, 
the  most  beautiful  of  all  laces,  had  the  ground  of  brides  or 
bars.  These  brides  were  buttonholed  over  threads,  and 
were  the  earliest  form  of  a  groundwork.  From  being 
at  first  irregularly  placed  in  the  work,  and  used  only  as 
supports,  they  became  placed  in  regular  shapes,  almost 
forming  a  mesh.  This  form  was  followed  by  a  regular 
mesh,  six-sided,  the  bars  were  constantly  made  lighter 
and  lighter,  till  at  last  the  buttonholing  was  entirely 
given  up,  and  the  mesh  was  made  of  single  threads. 

THE  VENETIAN  POINT  A  RESEAU  was  the  final  out- 
come of  this  desire  for  the  fine  and  light,  and  this  form 
of  lace  was  what  the  French  workers  seized  upon  and 
constantly  improved.  But  the  fine  and  very  light  laces 
demanded  by  fashion  in  the  eighteenth  century  could  be 
better  made  with  bobbins,  so  the  making  of  needle  point 
declined. 

At  the  present  time,  when  rich  lace  of  the  old  makes 
is  so  eagerly  sought,  little  ever  comes  to  public  sale,  as 
there  are  always  private  buyers  ready  to  take  it.  The 
old  Venice  Point,  the  handsomest  lace  in  the  world  for 
wear  on  rich  stuffs,  and  velvets  in  particular,  always 
brings  high  prices.  Some  was  recently  sold  at  Christie's, 
in  London,  for  very  large  sums.  A  flounce  4  yards  in 
length  and  11  inches  deep  brought  £350  ($1750).  But 
as  this  lace  could  be  used,  one  does  not  regard  the  price 
as  so  excessive  as  £24  ($120)  for  a  square  of  Rose  Point 

77 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


measuring  but  25  inches,  and  of  use  only  as  a  cabinet 
specimen. 

The  first-mentioned  piece,  the  flounce,  was  interesting 
from  the  fact  that  the  pattern  showed  not  only  fine 
arabesque  curves,  but  figures  ;  animals  and  birds  were 
introduced  as  well,  placing  its  manufacture  in  the  six- 
teenth century. 

Still  another  length  of  Rose  Point,  4  J  inches  wide  and 
5  yards  and  21  inches  long  fetched  the  large  sum  of  £15 
($75)  a  yard. 

Some  panels  for  dress  fronts  were  sold  at  the  same 
time,  the  design  conforming  to  the  shape  of  the  panel, 
some  only  4  inches  wide  by  20  inches  long  bringing  as 
much  as  £19  ($95),  while  one  20  inches  wide  and  43 
inches  long  brought  £38  ($190). 

Some  splendid  fichus  of  Rose  Point  and  Gros  Point 
brought  from  £38  ($190)  to  £150  ($750),  and  a  small 
cap-crown  had  many  bidders  and  was  finally  knocked 
down  for  £4  10.?.  ($22.50).  These  prices  seem  exceed- 
ingly high,  yet  it  must  be  remembered  that  these 
Venetian  Points  are  so  solidly  and  beautifully  made  that 
they  do  not  wear  out  or  tear  like  the  more  fragile  French 
laces,  or  like  the  Venetian  Points  a  Rcscau. 

Even  after  the  severe  sumptuary  laws  of  Italy  forbade 
the  making  and  wearing  of  gold  and  silver  lace,  threads 
of  these  metals  were  woven  or  embroidered  into  flax 
thread  laces  for  their  further  enrichment.  The  collection 
of  hices  belonging  to  Sir  William  Drake,  and  mentioned 
elsewhere,  was  exceedingly  rich  in  specimens  of  thread 
78 


\\  ,"V\*?'          .«&-.  "*      ><f: 

••        -.--    ....'••  "W^  V'4r  i 

'A  ,rv^-wA^^,     \fC2' 

'*•. .    ."'.   "  .       "*Sili.f      <:$* '     1  "VS:':Sfe:*-'V       .       •          »»         ^*"'t ' 


7}A 


ILA'l'E    XXV.  —  Italian  ho/thin-madc  f ounce, 
t\renti/-tn<o  hicJirx  will?.     Cerent fttitli  Century. 
•jto</raj>h  l>y  Charles  Halliard. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


lace  enriched  with  gold.  There  was  one  piece  which 
was  considered  quite  unique,  being  4  yards  long  and  29 
inches  wide.  The  pattern  was  of  foliage  in  arabesques, 
introducing  animals  and  birds,  and  at  regular  intervals 
were  panels  or  medallions  consisting  of  views  and  figures. 
In  the  length  of  four  yards  there  were  five  of  these : 
first,  a  queen  with  an  attendant  in  a  garden ;  second, 
St.  John  appearing  as  a  monk  ;  third,  a  monk  telling  his 
vision  to  six  persons,  all  seated  ;  fourth,  people  in  a 
garden  with  a  dove  hovering  in  air  ;  fifth,  a  king  with 
armed  soldiers  and  pages  bringing  gifts  to  the  queen 
surrounded  by  her  maids  of  honour.  The  price  given 
for  this  was  £380  ($1900). 

There  was  another  flounce  also,  and  a  pair  of  cuffs  of 
similar  pattern,  both  enriched  with  gold ;  they  brought 
£135  ($675).  Two  pieces  of  cut-work  on  linen  were 
also  embellished  with  the  finest  gold  wire,  showing  how 
the  elegance  and  richness  of  the  Renaissance  would  crop 
out,  even  in  forbidden  places. 

Only  twenty -five  lots  of  Sir  William's  collection  were 
offered  at  this  particular  sale,  and  of  these,  eighteen  were 
of  the  fine  old  Italian  laces,  showing  that  the  judgment 
of  this  distinguished  connoisseur  agreed  with  the  opinion 
of  those  who  have  long  believed  that  Venice  led  the 
world  in  lace  as  well  as  in  the  creation  of  other  sump- 
tuous works  of  art. 

MILAN  POINT  was  lace  made  at  Milan  during  the 
seventeenth  century  and  earlier.  It  was  made  both  of 
silver  and  gold  thread  and  of  silk,  and  the  patterns 

79 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


became  justly  famous.  Like  the  other  famous  Italian 
laces,  Milan  Point  declined,  and  although  lace  is  made 
there  to-day  it  is  of  a  coarse  quality  and  very  similar 
to  the  Torchon  laces. 

LAVORO  A  MAGLIA,  or  LACIS,  network  on  which  the 
pattern  is  run  or  darned  into  the  stuff. 

PUNTO  A  GROPPO,  or  knotted  lace,  includes  all  the 
laces  made  of  knotted  cords,  whether  of  silk,  gold  or 
silver  thread,  or  coarse  white  or  cream  thread.  It  some- 
what resembles  the  Guipures  made  in  different  countries 
as  well  as  in  Italy,  and  was  used  for  ecclesiastical  linen, 
and,  by  the  upper-class  Italians,  for  the  trimming  of  bed 
and  table  linen.  The  chief  characteristic  of  this  lace  is 
the  variety  of  knots  used  in  its  making,  which  were  tied 
with  the  fingers,  individual  workers  sometimes  having 
knots  and  combinations  of  their  own  which  were  very 
beautiful.  The  method  of  manufacture  is  on  a  pillow, 
the  threads  being  cut  into  short  lengths,  so  that  they  can 
be  easily  handled  and  knotted.  At  the  present  time, 
since  gold  and  silver  laces  are  no  longer  made,  this  lace 
is  formed  of  thread,  and  has  become  a  peasant  lace,  used 
by  the  contadird  to  ornament  their  undergarments. 

GUIPURE  was  a  kind  of  lace  formed  of  gold  and  silver 
threads.  Owing  to  the  nature  of  the  material  used,  the 
designs  were  large  and  florid,  requiring  no  brides  or 
bars,  and  with  coarse  grounds.  From  this  circumstance 
all  laces  with  large  designs  and  coarse  grounds  are  called 
Guipure,  although  that  name  is  now  chiefly  applied  to 
lace  made  of  black  silk. 
80 


77;  XXVI.—Marif.  <l>>,  Medici ( '1573-1W). 
tdtiduifi   ruff  of  ftufH-rh    Point    de    Venitie. 
Portrait  l>y  Scipione. 


o 


b 
h 

tl 

t< 


ITALIAN    LACE 


Nor  was  the  name  applied  only  to  the  gold  and  silver 
lace  mentioned,  for  it  was  also  given  to  a  style  of  trim- 
ming which  is  now  known  as  passementerie,  made  of 
cords  around  which  silk  is  lightly  wound  to  conceal  them. 
Formerly,  instead  of  the  cotton  threads,  a  strip  of  parch- 
ment or  vellum  was  used,  called  cartisane.  The  nature 
of  this  filling  made  the  lace  very  perishable  and  costly. 
It  broke,  was  ruined  with  water,  and  shrank  with  heat. 
It  was  used,  even  when  made  with  silk,  only  by  royalty 
and  the  very  wealthy.  Later  the  cartisane  was  discarded, 
and  the  Guipure  became  more  common.  In  addition  to 
these  rich  Guipures  just  described,  thread  laces  made 
either  with  bobbins  or  needles,  and  with  the  patterns 
outlined  in  narrow  hand-made  tapes,  were  used  as  early 
as  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  The  Italian  and  Flanders 
varieties  were  the  handsomest  and  most  showy  of  these 
laces,  with  a  background  or  re'seau  of  round  meshes,  or 
simply  brides.  The  fillings  of  the  pattern  were  worked 
in  a  variety  of  stitches  with  a  needle.  By  the  first 
quarter  of  the  seventeenth  century  the  demand  for  lace 
was  so  great  that  these  Guipures  with  tape  design  became 
very  popular.  The  tape  lace  made  in  Flanders  had 
peculiarities  of  its  own,  being  of  superfine  quality  and 
fineness.  The  change  of  fashion  to  the  collar  and  falling 
bands  required  a  heavier  style  of  lace  than  the  exquisite 
points  of  fairy  lightness  that  had  been  used  on  the  stand- 
ing ruffs,  and  Guipures  were  found  to  be  very  suitable. 
Of  course  these  laces  were  found  on  altar  cloths  as  well  as 
on  secular  garments ;  and  the  earlier  ones  had  a  straight 

81 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


edge,  while  the  later  ones  had  a  clover-leaf  edge,  which 
made  it  a  little  heavier.  These  tape  Guipures  are  still 
made  in  Italy,  of  handsome  design,  but  lacking  the  charm- 
ing irregularity  of  the  old  patterns  and  hand-made  tapes. 

GENOA  LACE.  The  rich  old  city  of  Genoa  was 
famous  for  its  lace  as  well  as  for  its  gold  work  and 
jewellery.  Perhaps  it  was  on  account  of  the  number  of 
goldsmiths  that  Genoa  was  among  the  first  countries  to 
make  a  sumptuous  trimming  made  of  slender  wires  of 
both  silver  and  gold.  They  made  this  lace-like  material 
in  small  quantities  late  in  the  fourteenth  century.  So 
popular  was  it  that  Venice  followed  suit  and  made  it 
also  ;  but  it  was  not  until  several  hundred  years  later 
that  Genoese  Points  became  well  known  and  in  demand 
all  over  Europe.  Few  of  the  inventories  of  royalty  fail 
to  mention  Point  de  Genes,  and  Marie  de  Medici  had 
much  of  it ;  but  these  laces  were  of  silk  or  thread,  since 
the  Genoese  Republic  had  made  sumptuary  laws  regu- 
lating the  wearing  of  gold  and  silver  lace,  as  did  the 
other  Italian  cities. 

While  Venice  held  the  palm  for  needle-point  laces, 
Genoa  was  unrivalled  for  her  bobbin  lace,  although  she 
made  needle  point  also.  But  the  exquisite  pillow-made 
fichus,  collars,  kerchiefs,  and  even  aprons  were  univer- 
sally sought,  and  more  in  demand  than  edging  lace. 
Pieces  like  this  necessitated  the  use  of  very  large  pillows, 
and  each  pillow  required  four  workers  to  attend  to  the 
700  or  800  bobbins  used.  The  lace  now  made  in  Genoa 
is  a  sort  of  Guipure,  and  is  sold  in  France. 
82 


f>/,.  /'/'/.'    X AT//.    -  ll<>!>l>ii/-m<iili'    lor,'  f  ounce, 

J^  ",»•;//;  /'/vW/-.s-.     .UK'/'-  "/  A'"-'-".     &'i-'->it<-<'>iii> 

Cunt  (it'll. 


ITALIAN    LACE 


CARNIVAL  or  BRIDE  LACE,  as  it  was  called,  was  made 
in  Italy  chiefly  during  the  sixteenth  century.  Like  much 
of  the  lace  of  that  period  it  wasReticella,  made  over  drawn 
threads,  but  its  characteristic  was  that  the  initial  or 
monogram  of  the  family  or  person  for  whom  it  was 
made  was  wrought  in  it.  When  such  lace  was  made  for 
the  personal  linen  of  brides,  it  was  worn  at  the  wedding, 
or  at  festival  or  carnival  times. 

ARGENTELLA  POINT  closely  resembles  the  French 
laces,  Alen9on  or  Argentan,  and  was  made  when  the 
heavier  raised  laces  were  less  popular.  It  has  one  great 
point  of  difference  from  the  French  laces  in  that  the 
figures  are  not  outlined  with  a  raised  cord  or  thread,  but 
simply  have  a  flat  buttonholing.  The  designs  are  sprays, 
small  ovals,  or  circles,  and  it  was  much  esteemed  on 
account  of  its  delicacy  and  whiteness.  The  groundwork 
is  a  fine  net. 

PUNTO  DE  RAGUSA.  Ragusa,  a  city  near  the  north- 
western coast  of  Greece,  was  one  of  the  greatest  Adriatic 
ports  of  Greece  during  the  fifteenth  and  part  of  the 
sixteenth  centuries.  The  peasants  of  the  near-by  Ionian 
Islands,  and  of  the  villages  along  the  coast  of  Greece,  sent 
to  Venice,  through  Ragusa,  drawn-  and  cut-work  in  which 
they  excelled.  But  these  were  not  the  so-called  Ragusa 
laces,  which  were  made  of  gimps  of  gold  and  silver 
thread  fastened  together  by  bars,  and  wrought  on  the 
edge  into  a  pattern  of  loops  and  trefoils.  While  Venice 
soon  excelled  in  thread  laces,  the  gold  laces  of  Ragusa 
were  deservedly  famous  till  late  in  the  seventeenth 

83 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


century,  but  were  finally  driven  from  the  field  on  account 
of  the  expense  of  the  material,  the  prohibitions  against 
them,  and  the  beauty  of  the  designs  and  workmanship 
of  the  flax  thread  laces. 

ALOE  LACE,  a  fabric  curiously  delicate  in  character, 
considering  the  material  of  which  it  is  made,  has  been 
woven  in  Italy  since  remote  times.  The  pith  of  the 
aloe-tree  is  split  into  threads,  and  woven,  tatted,  knit, 
or  twisted  with  bobbins  into  a  sort  of  lace.  Sometimes 
large  pieces  like  shawls,  lappets,  and  table  scarfs  are 
made ;  but  the  lace  is  of  little  use,  since  washing 
practically  destroys  it.  It  is  made  not  only  in  Italy, 
but  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  South  America,  and  the 
Barbadoes  Islands.  It  is  always  more  interesting  than 
beautiful  and  is  seldom  used. 

The  superb  Medici  collars,  which  are  familiar  to  us 
from  the  portraits  of  the  period,  were  not  complete 
without  the  framework  of  fine  metal  wires  which 
supported  them.  In  Italy  these  were  called  verghetti9 
and  such  large  quantities  were  required  that  many 
people  were  employed  in  their  construction.  These 
workers,  and  others  of  like  trades,  gathered  in  one 
particular  quarter  of  Venice,  which  was  called  after 
them,  and  it  still  bears  the  name. 


84 


te 


i    > 


g^fx,  "•  && 

i>fiS-^kris£* 

<V.'/^/--f>v' 


feKS 


TOLATE  XXVIII, — SJiiiifl  madf  from  pllli  of 
the  aloe.   Made  in  AZUKS  Islands.   Nineteenth 
Century. 


Part  III— Flemish  Lace 


WjMj*(jB\JL 


F  many  Arts,  one  surpasses  all.     For  the 
maiden  seated  at  her  work  flashes  the  smooth 
balls  and  thousand  threads  into  the  circle,    .  . 
and  from  this,  her  amusement,  makes  as  much 
profit  as  a  man  earns  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow, 
and  no  maiden  ever  complains,  at  even,  of  the 
length  of  the  day.     The  issue  is  a  fine  web, 
which  feeds  the  pride  of  the  whole  globe  ;  which 
surrounds  with  its  fine  border  cloaks  and 
tuckers,  and  shows  grandly  round  the  throats 
and  hands  of  Kings." 

—  JACOB  VAN  EYCK,  1651. 


III—  Flemish  Lace 


!O  country  in  the  world  has  a  more 
interesting  past  than  the  Netherlands, 
not  only  from  the  historian's  point  of 
view,  but  from  the  artist's  side  ;  from 
the  standpoint  of  the  elegante;  from 
the  demand  of  her  housewives  for  the 
union  of  utility  and  beauty  ;  and  from  the  lovers  of 
flowers  as  well. 

The  Dutch,  even  while  at  war  and  busy  wresting 
their  little  garden  spot  from  the  encroachments  of  the 
sea,  had  time  to  spend  in  learning  and  perfecting  the 
secret  of  pictorial  art,  whose  natural  birthplace  more 
appropriately  seemed  the  sunny  and  beauty-loving  Italy. 
Their  conquests  in  China  had  brought  to  Holland 
specimens  of  porcelain,  and  the  Dutch  potter  sought  to 
imitate  this  in  his  coarse  pottery,  smeared  with  a  finer 
surface,  on  which  the  decoration  was  laid,  and  succeeded 
in  producing  ware  of  great  beauty  and  use.  When 
commerce  brought  to  her  shores  furniture  carved  and 
beautifully  inlaid,  she  straightway  set  to  work  to  copy 
this,  and  bettered  the  models.  Her  goldsmiths  wrought 
with  a  delicacy  and  beauty  that  could  vie  even  with 

87 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


Venice,  and  would  it  be  natural  that  in  lace  she  should 
fall  behind  ?  She  not  only  had  the  artistic  capacity  to 
make  this  fabric,  but  had  also  the  patience  and  intelli- 
gence to  raise  flax,  the  most  necessary  article  to  success- 
ful thread  lace-making. 

Flax  is  a  plant  native  to  Egypt,  and,  transplanted  to 
the  soil  of  Holland,  it  was  tended  by  the  best  gardeners 
in  the  world,  who  gave  to  its  cultivation  that  unweary- 
ing care  which  vastly  improved  the  quality  of  the 
plant.  Delicacy  of  fibre  and  silkiness  of  gloss  were 
the  points  aimed  at,  and  in  these  the  Dutch  flax  was  so 
superior  to  any  other  that  it  was  soon  in  demand  all 
over  Europe.  There  were  many  trades,  grouped  around 
and  allied  to  the  use  of  flax,  that  soon  sprang  up  and 
became  important.  The  growth  of  the  plant  was  but 
the  first  step.  It  had  to  be  hackled,  or  the  fibre 
separated,  bleached,  spun,  and  sometimes  dyed.  Into 
the  production  of  the  finest  thread  went  eyesight,  and 
almost  life  itself,  so  difficult  and  under  such  disadvan- 
tageous circumstances  was  the  making  of  it  carried  on. 
In  order  to  keep  the  thread  moist,  so  that  it  would  not 
break,  it  was  spun  in  underground  rooms.  These  were 
so  dark  that  artificial  light  was  cast  upon  the  thread, 
which  was  twisted  over  a  black  cloth  in  order  to  show 
it,  its  almost  gossamer  character  causing  it  to  elude 
sight. 

Sometimes  the  flax  was  more  valuable  than  the  land 
it  grew  upon,  and  the  real  Brussels  thread  often  brought 
£240  ($1,200)  a  pound.  It  was  said  that  a  pound  of 
88 


T> /,./'/'/•:   A'.V/.V.      "Lit  tl,'  Pr'iHcw."  She  wears 

mi  "  HHdt'rproppi'r"  i if  w! rt'  l>ent>ath  her  lawn 

ntjf,  which  is  cdffed  with  (rofhic  Point.     Cuffs  edyed 

with    wide    needle    point.      Portrait    by    Moreelse 

(1571-1638). 


FLEMISH    LACE 


flax — that  is,  before  it  was  made  into  thread — could 
be  manufactured  into  lace  worth  £700. 

It  is  true  that  there  have  been  no  definite  written 
records  produced  to  substantiate  the  claim  of  Flanders 
that  she  was  first  in  the  field  with  pillow-made  lace. 
There  were  no  pattern-books  published  before  those  of 
Wilhelm  Vosterman,  who  died  at  Antwerp  in  1542. 
The  patterns  are  shown  on  small  black  squares  and  are 
of  medieval  designs.  The  prevalence  of  lace-making  in 
all  classes  is  shown  by  the  quaint  dedication,  which 
reads  as  follows  : 

"  A  neawe  treatys  ;  as  cocernynge  the  excellency  of  the  nedle 
worcke  spanisshe  stitche  and  weavynge  in  the  frame,  very  necessary 
to  al  theym  wiche  desyre  the  perfect  knowledge  of  seamstry,  quilt- 
inge  and  brodry  worke,  coteinynge  an  cxxxviij  figures  or  tables,  so 
playnli  made  and  set  tout  in  portrature,  the  whiche  is  difficyll ; 
and  natoly  for  crafts  me  but  also  for  gentleweme  and  ioge  damosels 
that  therein  may  obtayne  greater  conyge  delyte  and  pleasure. 

"  These  books  be  to  sell  at  And  warp  in  the  golden  Unycorne  at 
Willm  Vorstermans." 

There  were  also  those  of  Jean  de  Glen,  who  died  at 
Liege  in  1597.  It  is  also  true  that  none  of  these  books 
contains  patterns  for  bobbin-made  laces. 

For  the  first  mention  of  bobbin  lace  we  are  obliged 
to  fall  back  on  that  old  Italian  inventory  of  the  Sforza 
sisters,  of  1493,  in  which  one  item  reads  : 

"  Binda  una  lavarata  a  poncto  de  doii  fuxi  per  uno  lenzuolo." 
(A  band  of  work  done  with  twelve  bobbins  to  trim  a  sheet.) 

If  the  Italians  were  the  first  to  use  the  pillow  and 
bobbin  as  well  as  the  needle,  the  use  to  which  the  Dutch 

89 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


put  these  implements  soon  caused  her  to  distance  all 
competitors.  Se'guin  says  : 

"She  unremittingly  applied  herself  to  this  art,  and  in  a  short 
time  converted  it  into  a  widespread  industry,  possessing  well- 
merited  reputation  on  account  of  the  delicacy  and  beauty  of  its 
productions.  All  countries  turned  to  her  for  them,  and  she  be- 
came, as  it  were,  the  classic  country  of  pillow  lace.  Credit  for 
the  invention  of  the  special  process  was  readily  given  to  her,  and 
no  one  has  since  taken  the  trouble  to  closely  examine  her  title  to 
it." 

As  early  as  1554  the  commerce  between  England 
and  the  Low  Countries  was  immense.  Antwerp  was 
the  port  of  greatest  trade,  and  its  water-front  was 
a  scene  of  great  activity.  Guicciardini  gives  a  list  of  the 
exports  and  imports  between  the  two  countries  : 

"  Antwerp  sends  to  England  jewels  and  precious  stones,  silver, 
bullion,  quicksilver,  wrought  silks,  cloth  of  gold  and  silver,  gold 
and  silver  thread,  camblets,  grograms,  spices,  drugs,  sugar,  cotton, 
cummin,  galls,  linen  fine  and  coarse,  serges,  demi-ostades,  tapestry, 
madder,  hops  in  great  quantity,  glass,  salt  fish,  and  merceries  of 
all  sorts  to  a  great  value,  arms  of  all  kinds,  ammunition  for  war, 
and  household  furniture. 

"From  England  Antwerp  receives  fine  and  coarse  draperies, 
fringes,  the  finest  wool,  saffron,  and  a  great  quantity  of  lead  and 
tin,  sheep  and  rabbit  skins,  and  other  fine  peltry  and  leather,  beer 
and  cheese,  and  other  sorts  of  provisions.1' 

This  list  shows  that,  while  Holland  exported  almost 
exclusively  manufactured  products,  she  imported  chiefly 
goods  in  the  raw,  while  the  choicer  imports  were  again 
exported  to  other  parts  of  Europe. 

Pillow  lace  was  made  not  only  in  the  convents,  but  in 
the  schools  as  well,  and  as  early  as  the  time  of  Charles  V 
it  had  been  part  of  the  education  of  girls. 
90 


LATK  XXX.—A.  /W>WM->H«^  FhmMi  lace. 
Sixteenth  Century.  Ji.  Mechlin,  hul>l>iii-niade. 
The  spritfn  made  separately  and  worked  in.  Seren- 
teeiith  Century.  This  its  mid  to  hare  belonged  to 
George  IV. 


FLEMISH    LACE 


To  the  Dutch  is  given  the  credit  of  inventing  many 
things.  They  claim  the  invention  of  the  thimble,  the 
napkin,  pocket-handkerchief,  shirt,  nightdress,  table- 
cloth, and  a  sack  or  tick  for  bedding.  Some  of  these 
articles  were  in  use  as  early  as  the  thirteenth  century. 
Indeed,  we  can  trace  so  many  of  our  necessaries  back  to 
this  little  country  behind  the  dykes  that  we  are  almost 
ready  to  yield  to  them  on  any  point. 

Dutch  weavers  had  been  taken  to  England  as  early  as 
the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century,  to  instruct  in  their 
methods  of  weaving  fine  cloth.  Starch,  also  a  Dutch 
compound,  had  been  first  used  in  England  in  Queen 
Elizabeth's  time.  Great  was  the  sensation  its  use  cre- 
ated, and  those  who  did  not  approve  of  it  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  bestow  evil  names  on  it,  among  the  terms  being 
that  of  "  Devil's  broth." 

The  Italian  accompaniments  of  the  early  laces  were 
paint  and  cosmetics,  the  very  composition  of  which  was 
odious.  But  in  Holland,  where  flowers  bloomed  and 
art  grew  apace,  cleanliness  was  glorified,  the  simple 
pleasures  of  home  life  were  extolled,  and  health  and 
comfort  followed  close  in  their  wake. 

The  earliest  linen  garments  were  so  costly  that  only 
kings  and  nobles  could  possess  them.  They  were  dark 
and  discoloured,  for  the  art  and  secret  of  bleaching  had 
not  been  learned.  It  was  the  Dutch  who  worked  and 
experimented  till  they  succeeded  in  producing  a  fabric 
white  as  snow,  so  that  the  very  term  "  Hollands  "  was  a 
guarantee  for  its  fineness  and  colour.  Eight  months  of 

91 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


constant  sprinkling  and  bleaching  in  the  sun's  rays  were 
needed  to  bring  the  linen  to  the  required  perfection. 
In  1596,  Stephen  Gosson  writes : 

"  These  Holland  smocks  as  white  as  snow, 

And  gorgets  brave  with  drawn-work  wrought." 

Evelyn  says,  in  "  Tyrannus  ;  or  the  Mode,"  1661 : 

"  Twice  twelve  long  smocks  of  Holland  fine, 
With  cambric  sleeves  rich  point  to  join, 
For  she  despises  Colberteen." 

Long  before  what  we  call  "  lace  "  was  made,  Flanders 
as  well  as  Italy  had  become  proficient  in  the  art  of 
making  cut-work.  There  are  exquisite  specimens  of 
cut-work  and  embroidery  combined,  dating  as  far  back 
as  the  time  of  Philip  the  Good  (1419-1467).  The  writer 
has  seen  these  pieces  in  a  collection  which  is  practically 
priceless,  belonging  to  a  collector  in  Brussels,  and  having 
specimens  of  all  of  the  Dutch  and  Flemish  laces  from 
ancient  to  modern  times. 

The  early  Flemish  laces,  with  their  geometric  patterns, 
are  of  great  beauty,  and  do  not  differ  essentially  from 
the  Italian  laces  of  the  same  period,  but  the  Dutch 
sooner  than  the  Italians  made  lace  with  varied  and 
intricate  grounds,  sometimes  half  a  dozen  being  shown 
on  one  pattern.  All  the  old  pictures  of  lace-makers  by 
the  early  Flemish  artists  show  the  use  of  bobbins  and 
pillow,  and  from  some  of  these  pictures  the  Dutch  base 
their  claim  to  priority  of  manufacture. 

As  curly  as  1657  Mechlin  lace  is  noted  in  French 
inventories  ;  Anne  of  Austria  wore  it.  By  1699  Queen 

92 


FLEMISH    LACE 


Mary's  Mechlin  ruffles  are  noted  in  the  Wardrobe 
Accounts,  and  "  Holland  shirts  laced  with  Mechlin 
lace "  were  in  great  demand  among  the  elegantes. 
Whether  this  was  the  fine,  delicately  flowered  and 
sprigged  lace  which  was  known  later  as  Mechlin,  or 
only  the  commercial  term  under  which  all  Flanders  lace 
was  known,  it  would  be  hard  to  say. 

Until  1699  a  prohibition  upon  Flemish  laces  kept  those 
fabrics  out  of  England  (this  being  another  reason  for 
calling  one  kind  of  Brussels  lace  "Point  (FAngleterre"), 
but  after  the  ban  was  removed  Mechlin  immediately 
sprang  into  fashion.  Mechlin  is  a  pillow  lace,  made  all 
in  one  piece,  each  little  flower  and  sprig  outlined  by  a 
flat  thread.  It  is  a  rather  thin  lace,  — a  "  summer  lace," 
the  French  court  beauties  termed  it,  — and  it  looked  its 
best  on  cravats,  full  ruffles,  borders  to  caps,  or  fichus, 
its  very  delicacy  preventing  its  looking  well  on  the  gor- 
geous damasks  and  brocades  of  court  costume.  It  early 
declined  in  manufacture,  and,  although  still  made  at 
Antwerp,  Lierre,  and  several  other  places,  as  well  as  at 
Mechlin,  its  place  has  been  almost  entirely  filled  by 
other  laces. 

Nor  were  the  thread  pillow  laces  the  only  bobbin  ones 
for  which  Belgium  and  Holland  were  noted.  They 
used  silk  as  well  as  gold  and  silver.  The  early  pillow 
laces  were  all  narrow,  and  were  made  on  the  pillow  with 
all  the  bobbins  at  one  end.  This  style  was  the  only 
kind  of  bobbin  lace  produced  in  either  France,  Italy, 
Spain,  or  Flanders,  but  it  presented  a  great  variety  of 

93 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


patterns  and  had  quite  as  much  openwork  and  as  deep 
points  as  the  needle-point  laces.  Indeed,  it  is  only  by 
looking  carefully  for  the  buttonhole  stitch  which  dis- 
tinguishes the  needle  lace  that  one  can  tell  the  difference. 
The  cost  of  the  needle  points  was  always  far  greater,  and 
they  were  always  held  in  higher  esteem.  Then  there 
arose  a  change  in  the  fashions,  and  wider  laces  were  de- 
manded. At  first  this  demand  was  supplied  by  joining 
a  dentated  or  pointed  edge  to  the  flat  band.  In  the 
seventeenth  century  there  were  many  attempts  to  make 
wide  lace.  Italy  and  France  made  it  in  strips  and  sewed 
them  together.  But  Belgium  invented  a  better  way, 
by  making  the  lace  in  small  pieces,  following  the  con- 
volutions of  the  pattern,  similar  to  the  method  of  joining 
needle-point  patterns.  It  was  the  skilful  manner  in 
which  these  Belgian  laces  were  put  together  after  being 
made  in  pieces  which  gave  so  much  success  to  the 
Flemish  industry.  The  richest  and  most  complicated 
patterns  could  be  made  in  this  way,  individual  workers 
doing  special  parts  of  the  design,  which,  when  put  to- 
gether, made  a  splendid  whole. 

The  Flemish  makers  did  not  use  such  slight  patterns, 
with  very  open  grounds,  as  were  common  in  Italy 
and  France,  but  gave  their  attention  to  ornamental 
close  parts,  with  contrasting  stitches  to  bring  out  the 
elegance  of  the  pattern.  The  style  of  these  laces,  heavy 
and  floriated,  went  admirably  with  the  linen  collar,  and 
the  style  passed  into  France.  Until  Mazarin  died  in 
1661,  Louis  XIV  wore  these  collars,  or  rabatos,  of 
94 


"DLATE    XXXI. — Portrait  of  a  you  tiff   man. 
JIc    wears  a    collar    trimmed   with   Point    da 
Flandrc.     Portrait  hi/  Jan  d<-  Krai/,  died  1H97. 


OOCXXXXX) 

FLEMISH    LACE 

pillow-made  Guipure  lace,  and  they  are  shown  in  several 
of  his  early  portraits.  He  was  fully  25  when  the  use  of 
Venetian  needle  points  came  in,  and  turned  the  attention 
of  the  king  and  his  minister  to  the  making  of  similar  laces. 

Brussels  lace — Point  d*  Aiguille — was  the  most  beauti- 
ful and  costly  of  all  the  needle  lace  made  in  the  Low 
Countries,  and  its  successful  manufacture  was  confined 
to  the  city  of  Brussels  itself.  The  grounds  could  be 
either  a  reseau  or  of  brides.  As  in  Italian  laces,  the 
brides  were  the  earliest  form  of  connection  between 
different  portions  of  the  pattern  ;  Iput  they  were  soon 
discarded,  and  by  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  the 
ground  a  reseau  was  used  entirely,  except  when,  in  or- 
dering lace  made,  brides  were  specified.  Sometimes  the 
two  grounds  were  used  in  the  same  pattern  with  very 
beautiful  effect. 

Just  how  early  one  kind  of  Brussels  bobbin  lace  came 
to  have  the  name  Point  d'Angleterre  applied  to  it  is  a 
matter  of  doubt.  Enthusiastic  collectors  of  lace,  par- 
ticularly if  of  English  birth,  claim  that  English  Point 
was  first  made  in  England  and  was  successfully  copied 
by  the  facile  Dutch.  Certain  it  is  that  England  could  not 
begin  to  supply  the  demand  of  the  English  court  alone 
for  this  lace,  and  that  large  quantities  of  lace  were 
bought  in  Flanders  and  brought  boldly  into  England,  or 
smuggled  in,  in  coffins,  by  dogs,  or  in  any  other  manner 
which  cupidity  and  inventiveness  could  suggest.  To 
give  some  idea  of  the  enormous  amount  of  Flemish  lace 
which  was  smuggled  into  England,  Mrs.  Bury  Palliser 

95 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


quotes  the  account  of  the  seizure  of  a  vessel  by  the 
Marquis  de  Nesmond,  bound  for  England  in  1678, 
loaded  with  Flanders  lace.  Without  counting  the 
collars,  fichus,  handkerchiefs,  aprons,  petticoats,  fans, 
and  trimmed  gloves,  there  were  in  addition  744,953  ells 
of  Brussels  lace. 

The  earliest  Points  dAngleterre  were  made  in  sep- 
arate pieces,  each  piece  consisting  of  its  appropriate  net 
or  meshed  ground  and  pattern.  Later,  however,  the 
flowers  were  made  by  one  set  of  workers,  the  meshed 
ground  by  another,  while  a  third  stitched  on  the  flowers 
with  needles. 

Madame  Du  Barry,  from  whose  lace  accounts  items 
have  been  already  quoted,  used  Point  dAngleterre  also. 
In  these  inventories  it  is  sometimes  specified  as  "  grande 
dentelle  de  Gros  Point  dAnglcterre"  When  little 
Philippe,  son  of  the  Regent,  died  in  1723,  in  his  inven- 
tory there  is  one  item  of  "  six  peignoirs  of  fine  silk, 
trimmed  with  old  Point  dAnglcterre  a  reseau." 

The  groundwork  of  Brussels  lace  was  sometimes  made 
by  the  needle,  in  which  case  the  lace  was  three  times  as 
expensive  as  when  it  was  made  by  pillow.  The  needle- 
made  rescau,  however,  is  much  the  stronger  of  the  two, 
since  the  thread  of  each  mesh  was  twisted  by  the  needle 
four  times,  while  in  pillow  lace  it  is  not  twisted  in  this 
way  at  all.  The  pillow  lace  is  difficult  to  repair,  and 
the  part  always  shows.  The  needle  ground  can  be 
mended  so  as  to  escape  detection. 

Within  the  last  eighty  years  since  the  invention  of 
96 


T)LATE     XXXII. -Portion    of   cap.       Point 
d' A  nt/let  erre   a    Brides.       Bobbin-made   lace. 
Seventeenth   Century.       Photographed   by   Charles 
Balliard. 


FLEMISH    LACE 


machine-made   grounds  the  needle   ground   is   seldom 
made,  on  account  of  its  great  cost. 

The  needle-point  Brussels  lace  was  made,  as  was  the 
Alen9on,  in  strips  or  bits,  and  then  joined  together,  the 
process  of  joining  being  one  of  great  delicacy.  The 
flowers  and  sprigs  were  and  are  made  separately  for 
Brussels  lace,  and  then  worked  into  the  ground.  These 
needle-point  flowers  are  called  "  Point  a  L 'aiguille" 
Those  woven  on  a  pillow  with  bobbins  are  called  ''Point 
Plat."  In  the  old  pillow  laces,  flowers  and  ground  were 
wrought  at  the  same  time ;  applied  lace  was  unknown 
to  old  lace-makers.  As  in  the  making  of  Alen9on  lace, 
each  piece  of  old  Brussels  passed  through  the  hands  of 
different  workers,  who  did  only  one  thing  and  then 
passed  the  bit  on  to  the  next  worker,  who  in  turn  did 
her  share.  The  bits  were  finally  stitched  together,  and 
the  whole,  when  complete,  seemed  as  if  wrought  in  one 
piece,  so  carefully  were  the  joins  made. 

The  making  of  needle  point,  even  in  its  infancy,  was 
not  different  from  the  way  in  which  it  is  made  to-day. 
The  pattern  is  first  drawn  on  parchment  and  tacked  to 
a  stout  piece  of  linen.  The  leading  lines  of  the  pattern 
have  threads  laid  on  them,  which  are  caught  down  here 
and  there  by  means  of  stitches.  The  brides,  or  bars,  or 
the  reseau  if  the  work  has  a  grounding,  are  worked  in 
around  the  pattern  by  the  needle. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  pillow-made  lace  in  needle- 
point patterns  was  made  in  Flanders  in  large  quantities. 
Much  of  this  lace  was  called  Point  d  Angleterre. 

97 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


So  much  of  the  Flanders  lace  is  bobbin  lace  that  the 
question  of  pins,  of  which  so  many  are  necessary,  was  a 
serious  one.  Metal  ones,  it  is  true,  were  found  in  the 
tombs  of  ancient  Egypt,  made  of  gold,  silver,  and 
bronze,  yet  the  pin  of  modern  life  was  not  made  in  any 
quantity  until  the  fifteenth  century.  In  1483  their  im- 
portation in^o  England  had  been  prohibited,  and  clumsy 
enough  articles  they  must  have  been,  for  sixty  years 
later,  under  Henry  VIII,  an  act  of  1543  reads  : 

"  No  person  shall  put  to  sale  any  pinnes  but  such  only  as  shall  be 
double  headed  and  have  the  heads  soldered  fast  to  the  shank  of 
the  pinne,  well  smoothed,  the  shank  well  shaven,  the  point  well 
and  round  filed,  canted  and  sharpened/1 

About  1560  the  making  of  pins  was  much  improved, 
and  the  cost  of  them  was  lessened.  Catherine  Howard 
was  said  to  have  first  brought  brass  pins  into  England 
from  France. 

The  pillow  used  in  lace-making  is  stuffed  very  hard, 
and  covered  with  a  clean  piece  of  linen.  The  shapes  of 
the  cushions  and  the  way  they  are  held  vary  more  than 
would  be  deemed  possible.  They  may  be  square  and 
used  on  a  stand,  cylindrical  or  drum-shaped  and  held  on 
the  lap,  or  mounted  on  a  basket  or  stool  and  held  be- 
tween the  feet.  In  Belgium,  besides  the  large  cushions 
on  which  lace  in  the  strip — either  insertion  or  edging 
—is  made,  small  cushions  are  used,  upon  which  are 
formed  the  sprays  or  bouquets  of  flowers  which  are 
appliqued  on  a  net  ground.  The  Flemish  bobbins  were 
generally  very  thin  and  as  light  as  possible.  They  were 
98 


T>A./77;  XXXIII.  -l<'i-<ti,ci«  ll,<i,rt/  of  Grainf,-. 

(t'lithtr  nri-dlc  fioiiif  on  culliii  nttd  cuffs.      (told 

i'acf  on  cloak.       I'or/rnit  ////  Mlr/'rrdt  (1567-1641)- 


0<XXX> 

FLEMISH    LACE 

made  of  different  sizes  or  forms,  to  indicate  quickly  to 
the  worker  the  particular  thread  used  on  each.  For 
such  laces  as  Valenciennes  or  Mechlin,  filmy  and  deli- 
cate in  texture,  very  light  bobbins  were  used,  so  as  not 
to  strain  the  thread.  In  the  coarser  Guipures  heavy 
bobbins  are  used.  On  the  cushion  is  stretched  a  piece 
of  parchment  on  which  the  design  is  drawn.  To  form 
the  meshes,  pins  are  stuck  into  the  cushion,  and  the 
threads  are  woven  or  twisted  round  them.  The  pat- 
tern on  the  parchment  shows  the  places  for  the  gimp, 
which  is  interwoven  with  the  fine  threads  of  the  fabric. 
The  work  is  begun  at  the  upper  side  of  the  cushion  by 
tying  the  threads  together  in  pairs,  each  pair  being  at- 
tached to  a  pin.  The  threads  are  twisted,  and  crossed, 
and  secured  by  the  pins  which  determine  the  meshes. 

The  most  important  pillow-made  lace  in  Belgium  to- 
day is  Valenciennes.  We  are  accustomed  to  consider 
this  as  a  French  lace,  and  so  it  was  originally,  but  the 
work  has  long  since  died  out  in  its  native  city.  In  fact, 
by  1656  the  Belgians  were  making  Valenciennes  lace  as 
fine,  and  as  beautiful,  and  of  exactly  the  same  patterns 
as  the  French  fabric.  By  1684  there  were  left  in  Valen- 
ciennes only  threescore  lace-workers. 

The  seventeenth  century  was  somewhat  advanced 
before  there  was  a  surfeit  of  the  pointed  laces,  the  later 
styles  of  which  were  often  called  Van  Dycks,  which  had 
varied,  from  the  acute  point  of  the  old  Gothic  laces, 
through  the  slender  and  the  rounded  point.  Valen- 
ciennes lace  was  the  first  straight-edged  lace  made,  and 

99 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


its  appearance  was  hailed  as  a  great  novelty.  The  lace 
was  quite  unlike  the  modern  product  of  this  name,  and 
had  a  large  clear  mesh.  The  thread  was  of  exquisite 
fineness  and  colour. 

The  best  Valenciennes  lace  made  to-day,  as  well  as  for 
a  hundred  and  more  years,  is  that  from  Ypres,  in  West 
Flanders.  Its  fineness  is  exquisite,  and  the  patterns  are 
very  elaborate  ;  some  of  the  fine  old  pieces  two  inches 
wide  necessitated  the  use  of  200  or  300  bobbins  •  pat- 
terns wider  than  this  often  called  for  800  to  l,00o'  bob- 
bins, all  on  the  same  pillow. 

The   tedious    process    required    to    make    this    lace 
accounts  for  its  great  cost.     A  lace-maker  could  hardly 
complete  more  than  a  third  of  an  inch  of  a  wide  width 
in  a  week,  and  it  would  take  one  twelve  years  to  com- 
plete enough  for  a  flounce  for  a  dress.     Such  lace  as 
this  would  sell  for  $400  a  yard.     France  buys  annually 
from   Belgium,  at   the  present   time,  over   $4,000  000 
worth  of  Valenciennes.     When  this  lace  was  made  in 
the  city  of  France,   from  which  it  takes  its  name,  the 
fabnc  made  in  Belgium  was  called  faus.se  Valenciennes 
Bruges  and  Ghent,  as  well  as  Ypres,  have  long  been 
centres  for  the  making  of  this  lace,  though  the  Bruges 
Valenciennes  has  a  groundwork  made  by  two  twists  of 
the  bobbin,  while  the  Ypres  ground  takes  four  or  five 
twists,  making  it  finer  and  firmer,  the  patterns  standing 
out  much  clearer  from  the  grounding. 

A  series  of  treaties  concluded  at  Ximequen  in  1678- 
79  made  a  difference  in  the  nationalities  of  a  number  of 
100 


~T>LA  TE  XXXI V.  —Point  d'A  ngleterre  a  rtseau 
Part  of  a  lappet.     Eighteenth  Century. 


FLEMISH    LACE 


lace-making  towns.  They  put  an  end  to  the  hostilities 
between  Holland  and  France  which  had  begun  six  years 
before.  The  countries  engaged  in  these  treaties  were 
Holland,  France,  Spain,  and  Sweden.  Spain  ceded 
Valenciennes,  Ypres,  St.  Omer,  Cambrai,  and  many 
other  towns  back  to  France,  while  France  ceded  Ghent, 
Limburg,  Oudenarde,  Charleroi,  and  half  a  dozen  more 
to  Spain. 

In  1685  came  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes, 
by  which  the  lace  industry  of  France  suffered  so  se- 
verely ;  for  the  proclamation  was  followed  by  the  emi- 
gration of  about  300,000  persons,  artisans  of  all  kinds 
as  well  as  men  of  letters  and  science.  These  refugees 
sought  an  asylum  in  Holland,  England,  and  America, 
and  spread  the  making  of  lace  into  widely  divergent 
places.  The  value  of  the  gold  and  silver  lace  trade  of 
the  city  of  Lyons  alone  was  valued  at  4,000,000  francs 
yearly,  and  this  was  transferred  to  Genoa.  The  work- 
men took  with  them  their  trade  secrets,  and  France  was 
thenceforward  obliged  to  buy  the  gold  lace  she  needed 
instead  of  being  able  to  supply  the  world. 

The  American  colonies  opened  quite  a  promising  field, 
notably  some  of  the  flourishing  southern  colonies.  In 
New  York,  Madam  Steenwych,  a  rich,  hospitable,  and 
several  times  married  Dutch  lady,  had  much  household 
gear,  and  it  was  of  no  mean  quality,  as  her  inventory 
shows.  Among  many  other  chairs  are  mentioned  "  two 
easy  chairs  with  silver  lace."  And  this,  too,  was  as 
early  as  1664.  In  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century, 

101 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


Governor  Montgomery's  effects  were  offered  for  sale  at 
Fort  George,  New  York.  Among  them  was  a  bed 
"  lined  with  silk  and  trimmed  with  fine  lace  which  came 
from  London."  There  are  in  addition  "  some  blue  cloth 
lately  come  from  London  for  liveries,  and  some  broad 
gold  lace."  Among  the  notices  in  the  American  news- 
papers of  goods  offered  for  sale  during  the  whole  of  this 
century  is  much  gold  and  vellum  lace. 

Ghent,  Binche,  Liege,  and  Antwerp  have  been  and 
still  are  centres  for  the  manufacture  of  lace.  In  some 
of  these  cities  they  are  reviving  the  beautiful  old  laces 
of  200  years  since,  where  the  pattern  is  made  with  the 
bobbin,  and  the  fanciful  fillings  are  put  in  with  the 
needle. 

Under  the  two  great  heads,  needle  and  bobbin, 
come  all  the  varieties  of  lace :  the  differences  being 
caused  by  design,  size  of  thread,  and  arrangement  of 
stitches.  The  ornament  or  pattern  is  of  the  first  im- 
portance in  making  lace,  the  grounding  being  added 
either  for  strength  or  because  the  character  of  the 
design  makes  it  necessary. 

From  the  very  infancy  of  Flemish  art  a  constant 
intercourse  was  maintained  between  Italy  and  the  Low 
Countries.  The  Flemish  designs  were  somewhat  similar 
to  the  Venetian,  but  both  Flemish  and  French  were 
more  floral  and  flowing  than  Italian  designs  of  the 
same  period.  In  fact  this  was  so  noticeable  that  Bishop 
Berkeley  pointed  it  out  early  in  the  eighteenth  century. 
lie  says : 
102 


TDLATE  XXXV. — Rubens'  ipife,  by  Fratis  Hals 
(1584-1666).      Ruff  trimmed  with  fine  Gothic 
needle  point.     Cuffs  and  cap  with  Flanders  bobbin- 
lace,  and  stomacher  of  (/old  lace. 


FLEMISH    LACE 


"How  have  France  and  Flanders  drawn  so  much  money  from 
other  countries  for  figured  silk,  lace,  and  tapestry  ?  It  is  because 
they  have  their  academies  of  design." 

Besides  their  academies  they  had  been  further  pro- 
tected by  a  particular  stitch  called  the  "  crossing-stitch," 
the  secret  of  which  was  guarded  as  carefully  as  possible. 
Italian  laces  were  imitated  perfectly  in  Flanders  and 
France,  while  Belgian  fabrics,  and  to  some  extent  English 
laces  as  well,  were  made  only  in  the  country  of  their 
birth.  The  taste  for  flowers,  so  largely  developed  in 
the  Flemings  and  Dutch,  found  expression  in  their 
artists,  and  soon  crept  into  their  pattern-books.  The 
favourite  tulip,  the  forms  of  which  are  so  admirably 
adapted  for  use  in  geometric  patterns,  was  soon  utilised 
in  the  splendid  laces  of  the  period,  and  when  the  tulip 
mania  was  at  its  height  it  was  reflected  in  rabato,  band, 
and  passements. 

From  1589  to  1650,  the  ruff,  with  all  its  eccentric 
convolutions,  was  gradually  superseded  by  the  flat  collar 
of  Dutch  linen,  with  an  insertion  and  edge  of  lace,  or 
with  simply  a  rich  lace  border.  The  fashions  of  France 
and  Italy  were  adopted  in  Flanders  with  certain  modi- 
fications which  gave  them  ever  an  air  of  quaintness  ;  and 
while  the  grand  dames  of  Italy  and  France  were  wear- 
ing their  hair  all  a-frizzle,  the  Dutch  dame  drew  hers 
smoothly  back  and  covered  it  with  an  exquisite  cap. 
The  modest  cut  of  her  gown  was  enhanced  by  the  muslin 
kerchief  trimmed  with  splendid  Flanders  Point,  or  the 
finer  Gothic  Points,  the  result  of  many  weeks'  labour 

103 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


with  the  needle.  The  Dutch  ladies  and  their  sedate 
husbands  live  before  us,  to-day,  in  the  magnificent  por- 
traits of  such  masters  as  Rembrandt,  Van  Dyck,  and 
half  a  dozen  others.  Never  again  will  such  portraits  be 
painted,  since  the  era  of  magnificence  in  dress,  at  least 
for  men,  has  taken  its  departure. 

No  less  objects  of  pride  to  these  exquisite  house- 
keepers were  the  many  cloths  for  shelves  of  dressers, 
mantel-shelves,  tables,  and  other  everyday  articles.  Most 
of  these  were  lace-trimmed,  with  the  rich  and  heavy 
products  of  bobbin  and  pillow,  which  could  be  so 
cheaply  bought  and  were  so  durable.  They  had  a  dozen 
uses  for  lace  which  were  quite  peculiar  to  themselves, 
and  some  of  them  seem  curious  enough. 

In  1807  Sir  John  Carr  wrote  his  "  Tour  Through 
Holland,"  and,  although  a  close  observer,  he  has  little  to 
say  about  the  manufacture  of  lace  save  at  the  Btgwnages, 
where  it  still  flourishes,  and,  curiously  enough,  also  at 
the  workhouses.  The  workhouse  at  Antwerp  particu- 
larly claimed  his  attention,  and  he  notes  that  its  inmates 
were  employed  at  making  many  varieties  of  the  fabric. 
As  some  of  the  residents  of  this  institution  come  from 
the  best  families,  and  are  sent  there  for  disobedience 
or  insubordination  of  some  sort,  the  choicest  as  well  as 
the  coarsest  laces  are  made  within  its  walls. 

He  also  remarked  at  Leyden  a  curious  use  to  which 
lace  was  put : 

"  As  I  was  one  day  roving  in  this  city,  I  was  struck  with 
the  appearance  of  a  small  board  ornamented  with  a  considerable 

104 


>«^p^SrW. 


V.;. « 

;     ;;;;£:>;   j  -:''3|r:iV  ,4,- -IE? 
I  '-  •          ,  J^-U^  ^: 


^Xr^^  ^^^^^.-Si'S^M'Sft-^ 

^K:-,^.,  ; 

' "  >  • 


TDLATE  XXXVI. — ^/.  "Fausse  Valenciennes," 

bobbin  lace.  Bcli/htm,  Eighteenth  Century. 
/>.  Faunae  Valenciennes,  edf/eil  irith  Trolly  lace. 
Belyium,  Seventeenth  Century. 


FLEMISH    LACE 


quantity  of  lace,  having  an  inscription  on  it,  fastened  on  a  house. 
Upon  inquiry  I  found  that  the  lady  of  the  mansion  where  I  saw  it 
had  lately  lain  in,  and  was  then  much  indisposed,  and  that  it  was 
the  custom  of  the  country  to  expose  this  board,  which  contained  an 
account  of  the  state  of  the  invalid's  health,  for  the  satisfaction  of 
her  inquiring  friends,  who  were  by  this  excellent  plan  informed  of 
her  situation  without  disturbing  her  by  knocking  at  the  door  or 
by  personal  inquiries.  The  lace  I  found  was  never  displayed  but 
in  lying-in  cases.  Without  it  this  sort  of  bulletin  is  frequently 
used  in  cases  of  indisposition  amongst  persons  of  consequence." 

The  making  of  lace  seems  so  natural  to  the  people  of 
the  Low  Countries  that  it  appears  to  attract  little  atten- 
tion from  travellers  who  visited  that  country  and  re- 
corded their  impressions.  No  doubt  the  fact  that  it 
was  largely  made  in  homes  has  something  to  do  with 
this  neglect ;  for,  while  Flanders  was  undoubtedly  the 
second  lace-making  country  in  the  world,  the  written 
records  of  her  achievements  in  this  line  are  few  and  far 
between. 

Reference  List  of  Flemish  Lace 

OLD  FLANDERS  POINT  is  the  only  original  Belgian 
lace.  All  the  other  productions  are  imitations  of  the 
laces  of  other  countries,  some  of  them  bettered,  and  all 
of  them  more  cheaply  made  than  in  their  native  homes. 
The  original  Flanders  lace  was  the  variety  known  as 
Trolle  Kant,  a  bobbin  lace  no  longer  made  in  its 
original  pattern.  The  name  "Trolly  lace"  has  been 
transferred  to  England,  and  is  given  to  a  class  of  laces 
with  grounds  which  resemble  the  Flemish  Trolle  Kant 
grounds,  and  which  have  a  thick  thread  cordonnet. 

105 


(XXXX) 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

There  were  also  Brussels,  Point  tfAngleterrc,  Point 
Gaze  (one  of  the  earliest  laces  made  and  still  manu- 
factured), Mechlin,  Valenciennes,  Lille,  Binche,  and 
the  black  lace  of  Grammont. 

BRUSSELS  LACE.  The  needle-point  lace  of  Brussels 
is  called  "  Point  Gaze"  or  Point  tC  Aiguille.  The 
bobbin-made  Brussels  is  called  "  Flat  Point "  or  Point 
Plat,  the  word  "  point "  referring  entirely  to  the  quality 
of  the  lace.  There  is  an  applique  lace,  in  which  bobbin- 
made  sprigs  are  applied  with  the  needle  to  machine- 
made  ground  :  this  is  called  Point  Plat  Applique. 

POINT  D'ANGLETERRE,  a  rich  bobbin-made  Brussels 
lace,  attained  an  enormous  vogue  during  the  seven- 
teenth and  eighteenth  centuries.  One  reason  why  the 
old  Brussels  lace  was  such  a  beautiful  fabric  wras  on 
account  of  the  delicacy  of  the  thread.  The  flax  which 
made  it  was  grown  in  Brabant,  and  the  city  of  Courtrai 
was  particularly  famous  for  its  flax,  which  was  steeped 
in  the  water  of  the  river  Lys.  The  thread  now  used  is 
machine-made  in  England  from  Belgian  flax,  which  is 
sometimes  blemished  by  the  addition  of  cotton.  This 
thread  cannot  compare  with  the  hand-spun  flax  thread 
of  a  couple  of  centuries  ago,  and  the  lace  suffers  in  con- 
sequence. The  hand-spun  thread  was  made  in  lengths 
of  about  20  inches  and  then  knotted,  and  this  style  of 
thread  was  in  use  till  about  the  nineteenth  century, 
when  machine-made  thread  was  first  used.  With  hand- 
spun  thread  the  spinner  could  draw  only  a  length  of 
about  20  inches  from  the  distaff',  so  then  it  had  to  be 
106 


FLEMISH    LACE 


joined  and  begun  again.  In  fact  these  knotted  threads 
form  one  of  the  tests  for  antique  hand-made  lace,  and 
are  of  quite  as  much  value  in  dating  a  specimen  as  the 
structure  of  the  brides  or  the  angularity  of  the  outline. 

When  Charles  II  sat  on  the  throne  of  England,  1660- 
1685,  Point  d'Angleterre  was  much  worn.  Much  of 
this  kind  of  lace  was  made  by  applying  the  needle-made 
flowers  to  bobbin -made  net,  made  separately.  The  most 
elegant  and  becoming  laces  were  made  in  this  way,  the 
softness  of  the  pillow-made  ground,  with  the  exquisite 
beauty  of  the  needle-made  flowers,  giving  this  lace  a 
superiority  over  either  the  French  or  Italian  Point 
laces,  which  were  firmer  in  texture  and  less  flowing. 

Very  beautiful  lappets  for  head-dresses  were  made  of 
Point  d'Angleterre^  and  were  held  in  much  favour  by 
ladies  in  arranging  their  court  costumes,  when  Point 
lace  only  was  allowed  to  be  worn.  These  lappets  hung 
down  behind,  and  were  of  regulation  lengths  for  re- 
spective degrees  of  nobility.  The  privilege  of  wearing 
full-length  lappets  was  allowed  only  to  princesses  of  the 
blood. 

Some  interesting  pieces  of  Brussels  lace  have  recently 
been  sold  at  Christie's  in  London.  Among  them  was  a 
fine  flounce  of  Brussels  needle  point,  made  for  some  of 
the  christening  garments  of  the  little  King  of  Rome. 
The  design  was  most  elaborate,  and  part  of  the  pattern 
consisted  of  the  Napoleonic  "  N "  upheld  by  cherubs. 
This  piece  brought  £120  ($600).  A  very  fine  court 
train  was  sold  at  the  same  time  for  £140  ^$700),— a 

107 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


small  price  considering  its  beauty  and  perfect  condition. 
It  measured  3  yards  and  32  inches  by  3  yards  and  4 
inches ;  the  centre  was  filled  with  a  design  of  leaves,  and 
the  border  was  composed  of  pansy  and  morning-glory 
flowers.  A  pair  of  old  Brussels  lappets  reached  £10 
($50)  and  a  small  old  veil  with  Prince  of  Wales  feathers 
in  the  pattern  brought  £8  ($40). 

BINCHE  LACE  of  the  old  make  resembles  the  old 
Valenciennes  very  closely.  Both  the  towns  of  Binche 
and  Valenciennes  are  situated  in  the  province  of 
Hainault,  and  it  was  conquest  at  the  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  which  gave  the  town  of  Valenciennes  to 
France.  Modern  Binche  lace  is  machine-made  net 
with  bobbin  sprigs  applied.  In  the  old  lace,  which  was 
called  Guipure  de  Binche,  the  favourite  grounds  were 
the  spider  and  rosette  forms.  Laces  were  made  at 
Binche  prior  to  1G86,  since  in  that  year  they  were  sub- 
ject to  a  royal  edict.  They  were  esteemed  in  France, 
where  not  only  were  there  bedspreads,  night-robes,  and 
skirts  of  Dentette  de  Binche,  but  "  cuffs  of  three  ranges," 
fichus  and  garnitures  of  the  same  lace.  The  designs  are 
floral,  covering  well  the  whole  extent  of  the  pattern, 
and  the  groundwork  is  delicate  and  pretty,  with  more 
variety  than  the  later  Valenciennes  patterns. 

MECHLIN  LACE  has  a  place  all  its  own,  and  at  one 
time  was  so  popular  that  it  gave  its  name  to  all  varieties 
of  Flanders  lace.  After  1685  the  laces  from  the  different 
towns  became  known  by  their  appropriate  names,  and 
the  real  "  Mechlin,  the  finest  lace  of  all,"  was  often  called 
108 


O/.J '/'/•;   -V X \  \'il.      I'nrtralt 

In/     .I/fur/     CHI//I.         ('<i/'K(t(/f 
Fliuiihry  1',,'ntt  (IWZ-inUlJ. 


FLEMISH    LACE 


"the  Queen  of  Lace."  It  is  a  more  transparent  and 
delicate  lace  than  Valenciennes,  the  flowers  and  orna- 
ments being  exquisitely  filmy.  It  is  charming  when 
mounted  on  silks  or  satins  of  pale  shades,  and  it  was  for 
such  uses  that  it  was  esteemed.  Before  the  meshed 
ground  was  decided  on  as  the  most  desirable,  the  "  snowy 
ground,"  or  fond  de  neige,  was  sometimes  used.  The 
ground  ultimately  used,  a  small  hexagonal  mesh  with 
short  and  finely  twisted  sides,  was  very  clear  and 
pretty.  This  lace  at  the  time  of  the  Regency  and 
Louis  XV  revelled  in  rococo  designs.  These  sobered 
down  later,  and  while  the  borders  retained  their  ornate 
character,  with  interlacing  and  delicate  sprays  which 
contained  a  variety  of  pretty  fillings  (a  jour],  the  mesh 
body  had  little  flowers,  sprays,  and  sprigs  scattered 
over  it. 

This  pretty,  graceful  lace  was  much  esteemed  for 
trimmings  and  head-dresses.  Many  afternoon  caps  were 
carried  gingerly  about  in  boxes  and  baskets  when  our 
great-great-grandmothers  went  out  for  a  social  afternoon, 
and  the  lace  most  in  vogue  was  old  Mechlin.  It  achieved 
its  greatest  vogue  before  1755,  when  its  place  for  delicate 
trimmings  was  largely  taken,  at  least  in  France,  by  silk 
Blonde. 

ANTWERP  LACE.  When  the  rage  for  Mechlin  lace 
was  at  its  height,  all  the  neighbourhood  near  Mechlin, 
Antwerp,  and  Louvain  took  to  making  it.  As  early  as 
the  seventeenth  century  the  industry  was  started,  and 
while  Mechlin  was  the  chief  lace  made  there,  a  style 

109 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


called  Potten  Kant  was  also  made.  This  was  essentially 
a  Dutch  lace,  and,  while  in  the  several  centuries  of  its 
manufacture  it  has  undergone  modifications,  it  still  bears 
some  of  the  symbols  it  originally  had.  This  pot  lace  was 
an  elaborate  design  figuring  the  Annunciation,  with 
figures  and  flowers.  Late  in  the  seventeenth  century  the 
figures  were  omitted,  and  to-day  all  that  remains  is  the 
two-handled  flower-pot  with  floral  devices  straying  over 
from  each  side.  Owing  to  the  symbolism,  this  lace  was 
at  one  time  in  great  demand  in  Spain,  whither  much  of 
it  was  sent.  But  with  the  destruction  of  the  monasteries 
it  was  no  longer  needed,  and  now  is  chiefly  made  for 
peasant  wear. 

FLEMISH  GUIPURE,  and  TAPE  LACES.  Guipure  lace 
was  made  either  with  the  needle  or  with  bobbins,  the 
heavy  parts  of  the  patterns  being  held  together  by  bars 
worked  with  a  needle,  or  by  the  twisting  of  the  bobbin 
threads.  This  old  Guipure  was  very  costly,  made  as  it 
was  of  gold,  silver,  or  silk  threads  only,  and  could  con- 
sequently be  worn  only  by  the  royal  or  rich.  Later  the 
name  was  applied  to  thread  laces  and  those  formed  with 
bobbin-made  tapes,  in  which  style  of  fabric  the  Flemish 
easily  excelled.  The  patterns  were  very  bold  and  striking, 
the  thick  portions  being  varied  by  different  jours  and 
merely  held  together  by  twisted  thread  bars  making 
meshes  of  an  approximately  round  shape,  sometimes 
further  embellished  with  picots  or  loops.  The  modern 
tape  laces  are  being  very  successfully  made,  the  beautiful 
old  fillings  being  carefully  copied. 
110 


X 

FLEMISH    LACE 


These  modern  tape  laces  follow,  as  did  the  ancient 
ones,  a  style  of  work  which  was  confined  to  the  Nether- 
lands. It  was  invented  by  them,  and  its  peculiar  char- 
acteristics— the  use  of  the  fine  Flanders  thread  and  the 
close  and  regular  weaving  of  the  tape — have  never  been 
copied.  Flemish  bobbin  lace  used  frequently  to  be  called 
Guipure  de  Flandre,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  needle- 
point laces. 

LILLE  LACE.  About  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth 
century  Lille  was  not  behind  her  sister  cities  of  the 
Netherlands  in  making  fine  lace.  Like  so  much  of  the 
other  Flemish  lace,  her  chief  product  was  bobbin-made, 
and  its  most  marked  peculiarity  was  the  ground,  a  clear 
simple  network  upon  which  the  pattern,  outlined  with  a 
heavy  thread,  stood  out  in  good  contrast.  The  Lille  lace 
was  similar  to  that  of  Arras,  and  the  grounds  of  both  were 
formed  by  crossing  the  threads  of  two  sides  of  the  hex- 
agonal mesh  and  twisting  together  the  two  threads  on 
the  other  four  sides.  The  clear  ground  of  the  Lille  and 
Arras  laces  made  them  admirable  for  trimmings  when 
gathered  or  ruffled  up  on  fichus,  kerchiefs,  or  nightcaps. 
The  more  modern  laces,  however,  had  grounds  powdered 
with  dots  or  little  sprigs,  and,  while  formerly  made  in 
both  black  and  white,  are  now  made  in  white  only. 

By  the  Peace  of  Aix-la-Chapelle  Lille  was  transferred 
to  France,  and  then,  after  being  retaken  by  Prince 
Eugene  and  enjoying  a  period  of  Flemish  rule  once 
more,  it  was  again  ceded  to  France  by  the  Peace  of 
Utrecht.  These  changes  in  government  had  caused 

111 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


many  of  the  lace-makers  to  seek  refuge  in  Ghent.  Still 
this  industry  was  carried  on  there,  and  in  1713,  when  the 
French  Governor  was  to  be  married,  the  magistrates 
presented  him  with  costly  laces.  Madame  D'Abrantes, 
in  describing  her  trousseau,  says  that  the  only  lace  she 
knew  of  not  to  be  found  there  was  Lille,-  which  was  used 
only  by  "ordinary  women."  Notwithstanding  the  stric- 
tures of  the  Duchesse  D'Abrantes,  veiy  exquisite  dresses 
were  made  entirely  of  Lille  lace.  The  writer  has  seen  an 
Empire  gown,  perhaps  worn  by  some  beauty  at  the  court 
of  Napoleon,  made  entirely  of  this  lace,  with  the  hand- 
made net  closely  powdered  with  open  rings  instead  of 
solid  dots.  A  wide  band  of  flat-edged  insertion  is  let 
into  the  front,  and  meets  a  wide  band  which  edges  the 
bottom,  and  which  is  composed  of  five  different  patterns 
of  insertion  fastened  together  to  make  the  border.  There 
are  no  sleeves,  only  little  bands  crossing  the  shoulders. 
The  waist  is  just  5  inches  deep  in  front,  and  the  skirt  44. 
The  garment  is  perfect,  not  the  least  fine  thread  being 
broken.  It  was  a  "  find,"  being  sold  by  the  dealer  who 
had  it  as  an  "  infant's  robe,"  but  the  size  of  the  waist  and 
of  the  armholes  showed  the  error. 

Lille,  Arras,  Mechlin,  and  Bayeux  laces  all  have  a 
strong  resemblance  to  each  other,  and  have  the  softness 
and  charm  which  is  always  to  be  found  in  pillow  lace. 
On  account  of  this  very  quality  it  is  sometimes  preferred 
to  the  more  costly  needle  point,  which  has  a  crispness, 
owing  to  the  method  of  making  it,  which  causes  it  to 
fall  in  less  easy  folds. 
112 


T^ 


XXXVIII.—Duchesse    de   Amours. 
Flounces   of  Point    Aj>j>liqut.       Portrait    by 
Winterhalter. 


FLEMISH    LACE 


GUIPURE  DE  BRUGES  is  what  is  now  known  as  Duchesse 
lace,  and  is  a  thread  bobbin  lace  of  varying  degrees  of 
fineness.  The  pattern  is  made  in  sprigs,  since  it  is  gen- 
erally floral,  and  united  by  brides  or  bars.  It  is  popular, 
as  it  is  a  "  real  lace,"  and  not  very  expensive  in  its  coarser 
qualities.  Its  greatest  drawback  is  that  it  thickens  and 
draws  up  when  washed.  The  religious  communities  of 
Bruges  make  most  of  the  Duchesse  lace,  and  a  similar 
lace  is  made  in  Venice,  where  it  is  called  "  Mosaic  lace," 
since  it  is  built  up  of  small  sprigs  and  pieces. 


113 


Part  IV  —  French  and  Spanish 
Laces 


"  Item,  five  handkerchiefs  worked  with  gold,  silver,  and  silk, 
valued  at  one  hundred  crowns. 

"  Item,  two  towels,  also  worked  with  gold  and  silver,  and  ap- 
praised at  one  hundred  crowns. 

"/few,  three  towels  of  white  drawn-work,  valued  altogether  at 
thirty  crowns. 

"  Item,  one  pair  of  cuffs  of  cut-work  enriched  with  silver,  valued 
at  twenty  crowns. 

"  Item,  two  white  handkerchiefs  of  cut-work,  valued  together  at 
twenty  crowns. 

"  All  these  towels  and  handkerchiefs,  which  were  found  in  the 
little  coffer  which  the  said  defunct  lady  usually  carried  with  her  to 
Court,  are  remaining  in  the  hands  of  Sieur  de  Beringhen,  according 
to  the  command  of  His  Majesty,  to  whom  she  had  promised  these 
things  should  be  returned." 

— Inventory  After  the  Death  of  Gabrielle  d'Estrtes,  1599. 


Part  IV  —  French  and  Spanish 
Laces 

.T  was  Colbert  who  said  that  "  Fashion 
is  to  France  what  the  Mines  of  Peru  are 
|  to  Spain," —  and  then  he  proceeded  to 
make  good  the  saying. 

While  it  remains  true  that  for  years 
and  years  Italy  was  the  arbiter  of 
fashions,  France  under  the  Medicis  and  Valois  sparkled 
with  gold  and  jewels  and  rippled  in  costly  laces.  Cloth 
of  gold  and  cloth  of  silver,  further  enriched  by  embroid- 
ery, jewels,  and  the  richest  lace  to  be  had,  were  not  too 
elegant  for  both  men's  and  women's  wear.  Clouet's 
portraits  show  how  very  insignificant  the  early  laces 
were,  mere  edgings  of  little  beauty.  They  were  mounted 
on  starched  and  plaited  linen  ruffs,  called  retondes. 
Spanish  capes  and  collets  monies,  as  well  as  chemisettes, 
called  gorgias,  that  covered  neck  and  shoulders,  were 
also  worn  in  the  time  of  Catherine  de  Medici. 

The  drawn- work  was  handsome,  and  in  that  or  lacis 
or  darned  netting  the  workers  of  the  period  excelled. 
Catherine  de  Medici  herself  was  an  indefatigable  worker 
in  embroideries  and  cut-work,  and  passed  many  an 

117 


*^ 

THE    LACE   BOOK 

evening  at  this  pleasant  labour.  She  was  a  strange 
character,  and  one  thinks  of  her  more  naturally  as  brew- 
ing poisons  and  planning  conspiracies  than  as  peacefully 
working  with  a  needle.  After  the  death  of  her  husband, 
who  was  laid  out  "  dressed  in  a  Holland  shirt  most 
excellently  broidered  about  the  collar  and  the  cuffs," 
she  arranged  for  herself  a  mourning  costume  which  she 
always  afterward  wore.  It  was  elegant  and  luxurious, 
and,  most  important  of  all,  becoming.  It  was  the  cus- 
tom for  widows  of  high  rank,  for  a  certain  period  after 
their  bereavement,  to  wear  veils  when  they  went  out  of 
doors,  with  high  gowns,  and  turnover  linen  collars  with- 
out any  lace.  They  were  further  expected  to  remain  in 
absolute  seclusion  for  forty  days.  Catherine  de  Medici 
was  the  first  queen  to  ignore  these  customs.  She  carried 
the  outward  mourning,  however,  into  her  surroundings, 
and  had  a  mourning-bed  of  black  velvet  embroidered 
with  pearls  and  powdered  with  crescents  and  suns,  with 
all  the  bed  furniture  to  correspond.  She  had  still  an- 
other bed  draped  with  darned  netting  or  lacis,  and  she 
not  only  worked  this  lacis  herself,  but  kept  many  girls 
and  her  servants  employed  on  it  also.  This  lacis  was 
commonly  made  in  squares,  as  being  easy  to  handle,  and 
a  single  pattern  filled  each  square.  These  squares  were 
joined  together  by  an  ornamental  pattern  of  stitches, 
and  made  very  beautiful  bed-covers  and  ornaments  for 
all  kinds  of  household  effects. 

In  the  inventory  of  Catherine  de  Medici,  recorded 
after   her   death    in    1589,   in   which   the   bed    already 
118 


Q<XXK^X)<)<X^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

mentioned  is  carefully  described,  there  are  also  enumer- 
ated two  coffers,  in  one  of  which  were  381  of  these  lacis 
squares,  unmounted,  and  in  the  "  other  were  538  squares, 
some  worked  with  rosettes  or  with  blossoms,  and  others 
with  nosegays." 

In  1559,  when  Margaret  of  Savoy  was  married,  her 
trousseau  contained  gold-embroidered  dresses  and  quan- 
tities of  jewels  and  lace.  The  bridal  dress  was  yellow 
satin,  with  the  bodice  embroidered  in  jewels  and  gold. 
Her  mantle  was  trimmed  with  lace  a  foot  wide,  and  she 
had  in  addition  a  cloak  of  cloth  of  silver  trimmed  with 
lynx  fur. 

By  1579  the  ruffs  worn  at  the  French  court  had  be- 
come preposterous,  so  large  that  the  simple  function  of 
eating  was  almost  an  impossibility,  and  so  full  that 
twelve  lengths  or  yards  of  material  were  easily  tortured 
into  one  of  them.  They  were  worn  by  men  and  women 
alike,  and  the  grotesque  effect  presented  by  a  company 
wearing  these  monstrosities  is  shown  in  many  pictures  of 
the  period,  but  they  were  pleasing  to  both  Catholic  and 
Huguenot  alike.  The  court  ladies  not  only  wore  what 
laces  there  were, —  Point  Coupe,  Drawn  Work  and 
Darned  Net,  but  they  made  it  also. 

Fashion  usually  holds  her  sway  undisputed,  no  matter 
what  political  upheavals  take  place.  There  was  an  ex- 
ception to  this  rule  in  1583,  immediately  after  the 
murder  of  the  Due  de  Guise  at  the  Etats  de  Blois. 
Deep  mourning  only  was  worn,  no  gay  or  fashionable 
costume  was  tolerated.  If  a  demoiselle  was  seen  wearing 

119 


^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

a  ruff,  or  even  a  simple  rabat  trimmed  with  lace,  it  was 
torn  from  her  neck  and  trampled  under  foot.  But  this 
emotion  soon  passed,  and  all  was  once  more  caprice  and 
folly. 

In  1594  Gabrielle  d'Estr^es  wore  a  "  cotte  of  Turkish 
cloth  of  gold  with  flowers  embroidered  in  carnation, 
white,  green,  and  silver."  With  this  was  worn  a  gown 
of  flowered  green  velvet  lined  with  cloth  of  silver  and 
trimmed  with  gold  and  silver  lace.  Thread  lace  of  the 
finest  point  was  lavished  on  the  neck  and  sleeves,  and 
even  on  the  back  of  the  gown. 

As  the  Venetians  advanced  in  the  art  and  produced 
more  beautiful  lace,  the  French  court  demanded  it,  and 
were  eager  to  squander  such  fabulous  sums  on  it  that 
the  government  thought  it  time  to  interfere. 

One  of  the  strictest  edicts  against  excessive  ornamen- 
tation of  clothing  ever  promulgated  in  any  country  was 
issued  by  Louis  XIII  in  1629.  The  chief  interest  it 
now  has  is  the  enumeration  of  the  ornaments  and  trim- 
mings then  worn.  That  it  was  seriously  enforced  seems 
hardly  probable  in  view  of  the  pictures  of  the  day, 
which  show  splendid  costumes  for  both  men  and  women, 
decorated  with  the  very  articles  prohibited.  The  edict 
was  called  "  Regulation  of  Superfluity  in  Clothes."  In 
Article  1.33  of  the  document  is  the  following  : 

"  We  forbid  men  and  women  to  wear  in  any  way  whatsoever 
embroidery  on  cloth  or  flax,  imitations  of  embroidery,  of  border- 
ing made  up  with  cloth  and  thread,  and  of  cut-work  for  rebates, 
capes,  sleeves,  done  upon  quintain  and  other  linens,  laces,  passa- 
mttyncs,  and  other  thread  work  made  with  bobbins. 

120 


J^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

"  And  we  forbid  the  use  of  all  other  ornaments  upon  capes, 
sleeves,  and  other  linen  garments,  save  trimmings,  cut-work,  and 
laces  manufactured  in  this  country  which  do  not  exceed  at  most  the 
price  of  75  livres  the  ell,  that  is,  for  the  band  and  its  trimming  to- 
gether, without  evasion  ;  upon  pain  of  confiscation  of  the  aforesaid 
capes,  chain  works,  collars,  hats,  and  mantles  which  may  be  found 
upon  offending  persons  ;  as  well  as  the  coaches  and  horses  which 
may  be  found  similarly  bedecked." 

Under  this  same  monarch  lace  handkerchiefs  and 
lace-trimmed  garments  were  prohibited  to  all  classes  be- 
low the  nobles.  Those  under  the  ban  dared  not  openly 
defy  the  decree,  so  they  wore  bunches  of  ribbons  and 
streamers  to  supply  the  deficiency.  These  streamers 
became  known  as  galants.. 

Scarfs  trimmed  with  lace  came  into  fashion  in  1656, 
and  formed  a  very  graceful  adjunct  to  ladies'  attire. 
They  did  not  meet  with  the  approval  of  all  classes, 
however,  for  some  disbanded  soldiers  roaming  through 
the  streets  of  Paris  amused  themselves  by  snatching 
these  scarfs  from  the  ladies'  shoulders,  claiming  that  it 
was  against  the  law  to  wear  them.  After  half  a  dozen 
of  these  offenders  had  been  hanged  by  the  police,  the 
nuisance  abated,  and  scarfs  were  once  more  worn  in 
peace.  During  the  carnival  of  1659,  we  are  told  by 
Mdlle  de  Montpensier,  — 

— "  the  court  masqueraded  in  delightful  fashion.  On  one  occasion 
Monsieur,  Mdlle  de  Villeroy,  Mdlle  de  Gourden,  and  I  wore  cloth 
of  silver  with  rose-coloured  braid,  black-velvet  aprons,  and  stom- 
achers trimmed  with  gold  and  silver  lace.  Our  dresses  were  cut 
like  those  of  the  Bresse  peasants,  with  collars  and  cuffs  of  yellow 
cloth  in  the  same  style,  but  of  finer  quality  and  edged  with  Venetian 
lace." 

121 


%*)t0^j*)i&^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

When  Colbert  came  on  the  scene  he  profited  by  the 
knowledge  that  the  edicts  issued  by  the  Valois  kings  had 
been  evaded  in  every  way,  and  that  the  prohibitions  of 
Louis  XIII  had  met  with  small  effect.  So,  to  gain  his 
object  of  preserving  to  France  her  own  revenues,  he  set 
about  the  matter  in  quite  a  different  fashion.  To  be 
sure  he  was  at  first  much  hampered  by  Mazarin,  who 
was  not  so  deeply  concerned  in  stimulating  the  industries 
of  France  but  that  he  could  buy  and  wear  both  Flanders 
and  Italian  laces.  But  in  1661  Mazarin  died,  and  after 
this  the  Minister  of  Finance  was  able  to  take  the  place 
he  desired  in  the  administration. 

Our  interest  is  chiefly  concerned  in  his  attitude 
toward  the  lace  industry,  but  this  was  only  one  of  the 
objects  he  had  in  his  active  mind.  Other  new  industries 
were  started,  workmen  skilled  in  every  branch  of  labour 
were  invited  to  settle  in  France,  inventors  were  encour- 
aged and  protected,  and  French  workmen  were  abso- 
lutely prohibited  from  emigrating. 

He  conceived  the  idea  of  bringing  to  France  skilled 
workwomen,  so  that  French  lace  should  rival  that  of 
Italy  and  Flanders,  reporting  to  the  King  that  "  there 
will  always  be  found  fools  enough  to  purchase  the  manu- 
factures of  France,  though  France  should  be  prohibited 
from  purchasing  those  of  other  countries." 

To  learn  how  best  to  accomplish  his  object  he  applied 

to  the  French  Ambassador  at  Venice,  Monseigneur  de 

Bonzy,  Bishop  of  Beziero.     This  prelate  recommended 

sending  some  women  from  Venice,  where  "  all  the  poor 

122 


t^LATK  XL.  —  Claudia   (1547-1575),    danyht-er 

of  Henry  II  and  Catherine  de  Medici.     Ruff 

and  chemisette  of  drawn-ioork  edyed  with  purling. 

One  of  the,  earliest  French  portraits  showing  lace. 

Painted  by  Clonet. 


>X)OC<sX$X<^>C^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

families  and  all  the  convents  make  a  living  out  of  this 
lace-making,"  to  teach  the  girls  of  France. 

The  experiment  succeeded,  and  a  few  years  later 
Colbert  wrote  to  M.  le  Conte  d'Avaux,  the  successor  at 
Venice  of  Mgr  de  Bonzy,  as  follows : 

"  I  have  gladly  received  the  collar  of  needle-point  lace  worked  in 
relief  that  you  have  sent  me,  and  I  find  it  very  beautiful.  I  shall 
have  it  compared  with  these  new  laces  being  made  by  our  own  lace- 
makers,  although  I  may  tell  you  beforehand  that  as  good  specimens 
are  now  made  in  this  Kingdom." 

The  town  of  Alencon  had  long  been  a  centre  for  the 
manufacture  of  Point  Coupe  and  needle-point  lace. 
In  1665,  when  Colbert  was  considering  where  best  to 
place  his  colony  of  imported  lace-workers,  he  received 
a  letter  from  Favier  Duboulay,  saying : 

"  It  is  a  fact  that  for  many  years  the  town  of  Alencon  subsists 
only  by  means  of  these  small  works  of  lace  that  the  people  make 
and  sell." 

So  what  more  natural  than  that  this  little  lace-making 
town  should  be  chosen  ?  Curiously  enough,  the  greatest 
opposition  Colbert  received  was  from  the  old  French 
lace-makers  themselves,  who  were  so  wedded  to  making 
the  old  style  of  laces  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to 
teach  them  the  new.  However,  the  minister  persisted 
and  was  ably  assisted  by  his  forewoman,  Mine  Gilbert, 
or  Mme  La  Perriere,  —  authorities  differ  on  this  point, 
—  and  they  soon  produced  such  beautiful  pieces  that  not 
only  was  the  great  Louis  himself  satisfied,  but  his 
courtiers  eagerly  seized  the  laces  which  were  exhibited 

123 


C^^X^XXK^X^>3*X<<^X^XKK^XX> 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

as  samples,  and  Alen^on  was  decided  to  be  "the  only 
wear."  Not  only  was  Point  de  France  (as  the  new  lace 
was  called)  the  fashion,  but  the  wearing  of  it  was  com- 
pulsory. All  those  who  were  either  attached  to  the 
royal  household  or  received  at  Versailles,  "  could  only 
appear,  the  ladies  in  trimmings  and  head-dresses,  the 
gentlemen  in  ruffles  and  cravats  of  the  royal  manu- 
facture." 

The  "  Mercure  Galant"  of  1664  contains  the  follow- 
ing instructions  on  the  fashions,  addressed  to  a  lady 
living  in  the  country  : 

"  Network  coifs  were  at  first  dotted,  and  afterward  open-worked. 
This  last  is  quite  a  novelty,  as  are  also  skirts  of  Point  cTAngleterre 
printed  on  linen  and  mounted  on  silk  with  raised  ornaments. 
Every  woman  has  bought  some." 

At  a  fete  given  at  Vaux  by  the  superb  Fouquet, 
Mdlle  de  la  Valliere  wore  a  white  gown— 

— "  with  gold  stars  and  leaves  in  Persian  stitch,  and  a  pale  blue  sash 
tied  in  a  large  knot  below  the  bosom.  In  her  fair  waving  hair 
were  flowers  and  pearls  mixed  together.  Two  large  emeralds 
shone  in  her  ears.  Her  arms  were  bare  and  encircled  above  the 
elbow  with  gold  open-work  bracelets  set  with  opals.  She  wore 
gloves  of  cream-coloured  Brussels  lace." 

On  August  15,  1665,  a  company  was  founded  by 
royal  ordinance,  with  an  exclusive  privilege  for  ten 
years,  to  manufacture  Point  de  France  upon  a  large 
scale,  and  made  enormous  profits  during  the  period  of 
its  existence,  which  ceased  in  1675.  The  state  furnished 
a  fund  of  36,000  francs  in  aid  of  this  company ;  the  im- 
portation of  foreign  lace  was  forbidden ;  and  it  was 
124 


>0<X)^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

specified  that  all  the  laces  of  Venice,  Genoa,  and  Ragusa 
should  be  copied  in  France.  In  1671  the  Italian 
Ambassador  at  Paris  wrote  home  that  Colbert  was  on 
the  way  to  bring  the  making  of  thread  lace  to  perfec- 
tion. Never  was  protection  more  beneficently  extended 
over  an  infant  industry.  On  November  17,  1667,  there 
appeared  still  another  edict,  prohibiting  not  only  the 
wearing  but  the  selling  of  passements,  lace,  and  other 
works  in  thread  of  Venice,  Genoa,  and  other  foreign 
countries.  On  March  17,  1668,  this  was  followed  by 
still  another  prohibition,  declaring  that  the  wearing  of 
these  foreign  laces  was  injurious  to  the  country,  since 
the  manufacture  of  lace  gave  subsistence  to  many 
persons  living  in  the  kingdom.  The  last  edict  regard- 
ing feminine  attire,  which  was  published  in  France,  was 
dated  1704. 

"  Transparents,"  as  they  were  called,  came  into 
fashion  in  1676.  Mme  de  SeVigne  writes : 

"  Have  you  heard  of  transparents  ?  They  are  complete  dresses 
of  the  very  finest  gold  or  azure  brocade,  and  over  them  is  worn  a 
transparent  black  gown,  or  a  gown  of  beautiful  Point  (TAngleterre, 
or  of  Chenille  velvet  like  that  winter  lace  you  saw.  These  form  a 
'transparent'  which  is  a  black  dress,  and  gold,  silver,  or  coloured 
dress  beneath,  just  as  one  likes,  and  this  is  the  fashion." 

When  Mme  de  Montespan  was  at  the  height  of 
favour  she  is  described  as  wearing  "  Point  de  France, 
and  her  hair  in  numberless  curls,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  temples  falling  low  on  her  cheeks." 

Little  fancy  capes  made  of  Point  d'Angleterre  or 
French  lace  were  called  Palatines  after  Charlotte  Eliza- 

125 


*^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

beth,  daughter  of  the  Elector  Palatine.  She  invented 
them  to  cover  her  neck  and  shoulders,  and  in  winter 
wore  them  of  miniver. 

In  1679  Louis  XIV  gave  a  fete  at  Marly,  and,  in  order 
to  encourage  the  new  manufacture,  gave  orders  that 
each  lady  of  the  court,  on  retiring  to  her  room  to  change 
her  costume,  should  find  placed  ready  for  her  use  a  costly 
dress  of  lace.  Even  the  austere  Mme  de  Maintenon, 
while  sparing  in  the  use  of  jewels,  was  very  partial  to 
elegant  lace,  and  kept  the  young  girls  at  St.  Cyr  busy 
making  it  for  her. 

Nor  were  the  churchmen  more  abstemious  in  their 
use  of  this  rich  ornament.  Fenelon,  the  pious  Arch- 
bishop of  Cambrai,  had  four  dozen  pairs  of  costly  ruffles. 
The  sleeve  ruffles  were  a  more  important  portion  of  the 
costume  than  one  would  consider  possible.  They  were 
arranged  in  layers  as  early  as  1683,  and  were  known  by 
the  name  of  cngogcants.  These  were  not  the  ones  which 
turned  back  over  the  sleeve  of  the  dress,  but  hung  over 
the  wrist.  By  1688  they  had  reached  their  highest 
expression  in  France,  and  so  popular  were  they  that  by 
1690  all  England  had  copied  the  fashion  and  was  wear- 
ing them  too.  Their  proper  arrangement  was  a  matter 
of  deep  consideration.  "  I  have  been  told,"  writes 
Furetiere,  "  that  the  wife  of  President  Tambonneau 
takes  a  whole  hour  to  put  on  her  cuffs." 

The  "  Fontange,"  a  style  of  head-dress  originated  by 
Mile  Fontanges'  tying  a  lace  handkerchief  over  her 
disordered  tresses,  immediately  became  the  mode  in 
126 


LATE  XLl.    -./«»?«?  Stuart 

liitt  xlxft-r  Isiitilsa.     H 
(It-  France.      The  f 


;j,  and 
i-  ii'i'ar.t  (l  i-rarat  of  Point 


OfO<}<^X£X<XXK^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

England  as  well  as  in  France.  It  held  its  position  for 
ten  years,  till  1699,  and  from  its  modest  beginnings 
grew  to  be  an  immense  tower.  In  its  perfected  state  it 
was  composed  of  pieces  of  gummed  linen  rolled  into  cir- 
cular bands  and  used  for  keeping  in  place  the  bows, 
ribbons,  feathers,  lace,  and  jewelled  ornaments  of  which 
this  head-dress,  also  called  the  commode,  was  composed. 
Even  little  girls,  who  both  at  this  and  subsequent 
periods  were  but  miniature  copies  of  their  mothers,  had 
these  huge  structures  mounted  on  their  heads. 

The  earliest  of  the  Points  de  France  were  merely  rep- 
licas of  the  Italian  laces,  and  many  of  the  pictures  of 
Colbert  himself  show  him  in  a  cravat  which  closely 
resembles  Point  de  Venise. 

The  old  Burano  laces  and  early  Alen9on  resemble 
each  other  very  closely,  but  little  by  little  France  created 
a  fabric  of  her  own.  Point  dA  lenpon  soon  became  known 
as  the  variety  of  lace  produced  at  that  town.  The  de- 
signs used  under  Louis  XIV  are  flowing,  ornamented 
with  flowers  and  garlands,  horns  of  plenty,  and  sheaves. 
Under  the  reign  of  Louis  XV  they  remained  much  the 
same,  with  garlands  curiously  interwoven,  into  which 
were  worked  patterns  of  different  stitches,  the  whole 
presenting  a  wreathed  and  garlanded  effect  of  great 
beauty. 

At  about  the  same  time  that  the  manufacture  of 
Point  de  France  was  begun  at  Alencon  there  was  estab- 
lished at  Argentan  a  similar  bureau.  These  two  laces 
were  long  rivals,  and  the  struggle  among  the  workers  at 

127 


Q&O&frX^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

Argentan,  who  preferred  old  methods  also,  seems  to 
have  been  similar  to  that  at  Aler^on.  The  directress, 
Mme  Raffy,  writes  to  Colbert  thanking  him  for  the 
notice,  publicly  announced  at  Argentan  to  the  sound  of 
the  trumpet,  that  the  lace-makers  of  that  town  are  to 
work  for  the  Bureau  de  la  Manufacture  Royale,  only. 

Point  d' Argentan  has  long  been  considered  to  be 
especially  distinguished  by  its  hexagonal  brides,  but 
there  are  also  Venetian  laces  which  have  this  same 
peculiarity.  These  brides,  or  really  background,  are  a 
large  six-sided  mesh  worked  over  with  buttonhole  stitch, 
each  side  of  the  hexagon  being  covered  with  eight 
or  nine  buttonhole  stitches,  although  only  about  one 
tenth  of  an  inch  long.  This  gives  some  idea  of  the 
minute  ground,  which  is  also  very  strong. 

The  towns  of  Alen9on  and  Argentan  were  but  ten 
miles  apart.  Communication  was  constant.  Some 
authorities,  like  Mr.  Dupont,  declare  that  Argentan  was 
but  a  branch  of  Alen^on,  and  that  both  styles  of  lace 
were  made  in  both  places.  It  is  quite  certain  that  the 
two  grounds  were  often  combined  in  one  lace,  and  both 
laces  were  made  with  the  same  material. 

The  manufacture  of  lace  at  Argentan  had  become 
practically  extinct  by  1701,  so  fickle  is  fashion,  but 
Mathieu  Guyard,  a  merchant  of  Paris,  sought  to  revive 
it.  He  claimed  that  his  ancestors  and  himself,  for  120 
years,  had  made  laces  both  black  and  white  in  the  envi- 
rons of  Paris.  That  his  efforts  to  revive  the  industry 
were  successful  is  very  evident,  since  in  1708  he  applied 
128 


FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

for  permission  to  employ  600  lace-workers,  re-establish 
the  factory  at  Argentan,  have  the  royal  arms  over  his 
door,  and  be  exempt  from  lodging  soldiery.  Through- 
out the  whole  eighteenth  century,  and  until  the  storm 
of  the  Revolution  swept  over  France,  Argentan  lace- 
works  flourished.  Guyard's  children  succeeded  him,  and 
his  successors  and  a  rival  house  had  many  battles  over 
royal  patronage,  which  became  very  acrimonious  at  the 
preparations  for  the  marriage  of  the  Dauphin  in  1744. 
Workwomen  were  enticed  from  one  factory  to  another, 
the  controller-general  was  appealed  to,  and  after  much 
fuss  and  feathers  the  matter  was  happily  compromised 
by  both  firms  making  all  the  lace  they  could,  which  was 
not  more  than  enough  to  supply  the  royal  demand. 

The  collecting  of  taxes  on  various  commodities  was 
let  out  by  the  farmer-general  to  various  subordinates. 
In  1707  the  collection  of  the  taxes  on  lace  was  farmed 
out  to  one  Etienne  Nicholas  for  the  annual  sum  of 
201,000  livres  ($40,200).  The  duties  were  50  livres  for 
each  pound  of  lace,  so  it  would  have  taken  over  4,000 
pounds  of  lace  to  reimburse  Nicholas  for  his  outlay, 
Of  course  he  would  not  be  content  to  pay  this  large 
sum  unless  his  profits  were  in  proportion,  so  it  seems 
safe  to  say  that  probably  as  much  as  8,000  pounds  of 
lace  came  into  France  that  year.  There  was  a  pro- 
hibition against  the  Points  of  both  Venice  and  Genoa, 
so  their  laces  could  not  be  declared  in  the  receipts. 
Undoubtedly  many  pounds  of  them  were  introduced, 
however,  under  other  names,  or  by  smuggling. 

129 


ftQ&WiOi^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

On  all  sides  were  courtiers  and  attendants  waiting 
for  perquisites  by  means  of  which  they  hoped  to  eke 
out  an  income  which  would  cover  the  immense  outlay 
to  which  they  were  subjected  on  account  of  the  elegance 
and  luxury  demanded,  and  for  which  the  court  set  the 
standard.  The  ladies  wore  their  berthas  and  sleeves 
trimmed  with  Alencon  or  Argentan.  When  the 
sleeves  were  short,  these  ruffles  were  called  engageantcs; 
when  long,  pagodes.  The  lace  trimmings  on  skirts 
were  volantes,  or  flounces,  which  were  called  tournantes 
when  they  were  applied  horizontally,  and  quilles  when 
put  on  vertically.  The  edge  of  lace  (when  not  insertion, 
in  which  both  edges  are  finished  alike)  is  ornamented 
on  one  side  and  plain  on  the  other.  To  the  plain  edge 
is  lightly  attached  a  strip  of  lace  called  engrelure,  or 
footing.  This,  in  the  old  laces,  was  made  of  flax 
thread,  like  the  lace  itself;  in  modern  lace  it  is  made  of 
cotton  thread. 

The  patterns  for  Points  de  France,  when  not  copied 
from  Italian  models,  had  a  regularity  of  arrangement 
which  was  not  to  be  found  in  Italian  laces  of  the  same 
period.  It  was  this  very  regularity  which  led  little  by 
little  to  the  doing  away  with  the  brides  or  bars  and  the 
substitution  of  a  regular  reseau  or  meshed  background. 
There  are  still  to  be  found,  in  collections,  flounces  made 
for  the  court  dames  of  the  ancicn  regime,  in  which  are 
figures  and  emblems  of  the  time  of  the  Great  Louis. 

When  the  Prince  de  Conti  married  Mile  de  Blois, 
the  King's  wedding  gift  was  a  set  of  toilette  hangings 
130 


5 


KlKiag 


-,,v,.  - 


*LA  TE  XLJI.  -  P.mit  ,1\-1  hnnni. 
Century.     Sfylr  of  Loin,;  XI  V. 


j>oin/. 


<xx<^:*xxx^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

made  entirely  of  Points  de  France,  while  other  members 
of  the  royal  family  gave  her  a  bedspread  and  valance 
of  the  same  costly  material.  It  was  this  same  Mile 
de  Blois  of  whom  Mme  de  Sevigne  writes  in  1674, 
saying :  "  She  was  as  beautiful  as  an  angel,  with  a  tablier 
and  bavette  of  Point  de  France.''' 

The  prodigality  in  dress  at  this  period  in  France  is 
scarcely  conceivable.  Neither  men  nor  women  hesitated 
to  beggar  themselves  to  shine  in  laces  and  diamonds, 
and  then,  when  they  had  squandered  everything,  still 
kept  on  the  same  wild  pace  till  merchants  refused  to 
supply  them  any  longer.  On  the  occasion  of  the 
betrothal  of  the  daughter  of  Monsieur  with  the  Due  de 
Lorraine,  the  festivities  lasted  for  several  days.  Each 
day  for  a  week  Mdlle  de  Blois  appeared  in  a  different 
costume.  Once  she  wore  a  coat  of  Gros  de  Tours 
richly  embroidered  in  gold  touched  with  flame  colour. 
She  had  on  a  splendid  set  of  diamonds,  and  a  mantle  of 
gold  Point  dEspagne  six  yards  and  a  half  long,  which 
was  carried  behind  her  by  a  Duchess.  On  another 
occasion  her  coat  and  skirt  were  cloth  of  silver  trimmed 
with  silver  lace. 

It  was  at  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  that  the 
Steinkirk  came  in,  —  a  necktie  of  the  finest  muslin  edged 
with  lace.  This  was  passed  about  the  neck  and  tied 
once,  the  long  ends  being  twisted  and  drawn  through  a 
buttonhole.  The  legend  is  that  this  fashion  of  wearing 
these  cravats  came  about  as  the  French  princes  were 
hurrying  to  battle  in  1692,  in  the  engagement  between 

131 


*c»^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

Marshal  Luxembourg  and  William  of  Orange.  How- 
ever this  may  be,  the  hit  was  a  happy  and  becoming 
one ;  the  style  was  followed,  and  women,  too,  seized  on 
it.  Indeed,  it  became  quite  general  in  England  as  well 
as  in  France,  and  it  even  crossed  the  water  to  America, 
where  in  the  "  court  circle  "  at  New  York  we  hear  of 
both  Steinkirks  and  Fontanges.  The  feminine  fashion  of 
fastening  these  laced  cravats  was  not  by  passing  them 
through  a  buttonhole,  but  by  pinning  them  on  one  side 
of  the  corsage  by  a  long  bar  pin.  In  the  prologue  to 
"Don  Quixote "  we  find:  "The  modish  spark  wears  a 
huge  Stdnkirk  twisted  to  the  waist."  Sir  Walter  Scott, 
correct  in  small  as  well  as  large  details,  speaks  of  Frank 
Osbaldiston  in  "  Rob  Roy  "  as  having  his  cravat,  "  a 
richly  laced  Steinkirk,"  taken  from  him  by  the  High- 
landers. 

With  the  advent  of  Louis  XV  the  wearied  nation 
wanted  something  new.  The  Points  dc  France  under 
Louis  XIV  had  been  chiefly  remarkable  for  their  meshed 
grounds,  often  large  in  size,  the  bars  being  ornamented 
with  little  loops  or  picots  of  thread.  The  lace  mesh  was 
now  much  reduced  in  size,  a  form  in  which  the  jricot 
could  not  be  used.  To  counteract  this  plainness,  mesh 
grounds  of  different  patterns  were  happily  contrasted  in 
the  same  piece.  With  the  prominence  of  the  ground  we 
may  date  the  falling  off  of  the  elegance  in  design  which 
had  distinguished  the  previous  reign.  More  and  more 
attention  was  paid  to  the  jours  or  fancy  stitches  intro- 
duced into  the  filling  of  the  pattern,  and  this  epoch  in 
132 


FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

lace-making  produced  a  variety  of  exquisite  stitches 
which  had  never  before  been  attempted.  Such  fillings 
were  inserted  like  little  jewels  in  the  centre  of  flowers  ; 
they  extended  into  medallions,  along  the  edges  ;  they 
spread  into  fans  and  shells  infinite  in  variety,  wonderful 
in  beauty.  So  exquisite  were  some  of  these  fillings  that 
in  small  and  costly  bits  of  lace  they  filled  the  whole 
background,  making  a  product  infinitely  richer  than 
when  the  ground  was  a  simple  mesh. 

The  use  of  finery  which  seemed  excessive  under  Louis 
XIV  went  even  farther  under  Louis  XV.  Everything 
possible  was  trimmed  with  lace.  The  perquisites  col- 
lected by  those  connected  with  the  court  often  rose  to 
immense  sums.  The  ladies  of  the  court  attached  to  the 
Queen's  chamber  were  nominally  paid  150  livres  a  year, 
but  they  were  able  to  sell  for  their  own  use  the  candles 
which  had  been  once  lighted.  This  item  would  not  seem 
to  be  a  large  one,  yet  it  brought  in  an  income  of  5,000 
livres.  The  profit  on  wax  candles  was  so  great  that  it 
was  shared  among  many.  Those  candles  which  were 
unconsumed  when  the  play  was  ended  went  to  thegarde- 
ineuble,  while  those  that  remained  after  lighting  the 
King's  meals  were  apportioned  among  others.  Every 
three  years  the  linens  and  laces  of  the  Queen  were  re- 
newed in  order  that  the  lady  of  honour  and  the  royal 
nurse  might  sell  the  supply  on  hand.  When  the 
Dauphine  died,  Mme  Brancas  at  once  asserted  her 
rights  to  all  that  pertained  to  her  toilette,  and  this 
brought  no  less  than  50,000  crowns.  The  profits  of  her 

133 


^ 

THE    LACE   BOOK 

wardrobe  brought  82,000  livres.  In  1738  the  Due  de 
Luynes  writes : 

"  To-day  Madame  de  Luynes  brought  the  furnishings  which  she 
had  chosen  for  the  Queen,  and  which  were  shown  to  the  ladies  of 
honor.  They  were  bedspreads  for  the  great  and  small  beds,  and 
pillow-cases  trimmed  with  Point  (TAngleterre  of  the  same  pattern. 
These  furnishings  cost  30,000  livres,  for  Madame  Luynes  did  not 
renew  the  handsomest  bedspreads  for  the  Queen." 

The  old  "  furnishings  "  were  the  perquisite  of  Madame 
de  Luynes,  and  she  seems  to  have  shown  unusual  con- 
sideration for  the  royal  coffers  in  not  renewing  the  beaux 
couvrcpieds. 

Even  Point  d  Argent  an  was  not  too  costly  for  the 
trimming  of  sheets,  the  lace  alone  for  such  a  purpose 
amounting  to  40,000  crowns.  Aprons  were  often  made 
of  this  charming  lace,  and  even  children  had  such  with 
caps  and  sleeve  ruffles  to  match. 

During  this  period  still  another  use  was  found  for  lace, 
to  fall  from  the  edges  of  the  masks  used  by  ladies  when 
riding  or  driving.  In  fact  some  of  these  dainty  articles 
were  entirely  of  the  finest  black  Chantilly,  though  the 
ordinary  mask  was  of  black  velvet  with  merely  a  fall  of 
lace,  since  these  answered  better  both  as  a  protection  to 
the  complexion  and  as  a  disguise.  Louis  XV  no  longer 
took  such  an  interest  as  Louis  XIV,  stimulated  by 
Colbert,  had  evinced  in  the  industries  of  France.  The 
pre-eminence  of  Alencon  was  disputed,  and  Point 
dAngletcrre  and  M alines  became  equally  esteemed. 
The  favourites  of  the  period  set  the  fashions  in  laces  as  in 
most  other  details  of  dress,  and  the  Wardrobe  Accounts 
134 


TE  XUII.   -^l',,knoin,  7V/wv.v.sv.v."  They 
Hir  aprons,  fronts,  .v/wv  rnjfli'x,  ami  cd/in  of 
Point  d'A  r</i  nhin.   Attrilmtrd  to  Ji,;//K  (1674-1734) 


>^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

of  Madame  Du  Barry  are  fairly  preposterous  with  the 
sums  spent  for  Brussels  and  Point  d1  Angleterre.  In 
these  accounts  is  also  mentioned  India  muslin  so  fine 
that  a  length  sufficient  to  make  four  dresses  weighed 
but  15  ounces. 

While  the  French  laces  with  which  we  are  most 
familiar,  and  which  were  the  most  costly  and  beautiful, 
were  made  with  the  needle,  France  also  had  her  bobbin 
laces.  Colbert  directed  that  "  all  sorts  of  threadwork, 
both  with  the  needle  and  with  bobbin  on  the  pillow " 
should  be  made  in  the  lace-works  he  established,  but  the 
bobbin  laces  had  a  later  start.  The  towns  where  bobbin 
laces  were  made  under  Colbert's  administration  were 
Arras,  Le  Quesnoy,  Loudon,  and  Aurillac.  They  were 
soon  overshadowed,  however,  by  their  better  known 
neighbour,  Valenciennes,  the  place  where  the  most 
esteemed  of  bobbin  laces  were  made. 

Valenciennes  lace  attracted  but  little  attention  when 
it  was  first  made.  It  was  not  till  the  eighteenth  century 
that  it  became  esteemed  and  accepted  as  one  of  the 
laces  demanded  by  fashion.  Indeed,  none  of  the  pillow- 
made  laces,  Mechlin,  Valenciennes,  or  Chantilly,  enjoyed 
the  reputation  at  first  which  caused  the  needle  points  of 
Venice  and  Alen^on  to  occupy  so  prominent  a  position. 
Still,  the  love  for  lace  had  been  implanted,  and  the 
noble  work  done  by  Colbert  in  establishing  works  all 
over  the  Kingdom  bore  fruit  later.  While  needle-point 
laces  may  be  said  to  have  reached  their  supreme  heights 
in  the  seventeenth  century,  bobbin-made  lace  came  to 

135 


X*XX)<^X^<^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

its  fullest  expression  in  the  eighteenth  century  and  has 
never  since  been  excelled. 

Under  Louis  XV  fashion  demanded  soft  and  filmy 
laces,  which  were  bobbin-made,  the  very  materials  and 
mode  of  manufacture  making  needle  point  stifFer.  The 
earliest  French  bobbin  laces,  like  those  of  other  coun- 
tries at  this  period  (the  sixteenth  century),  were  of  gold 
and  silver  threads,  —  Passcments  or  Guipures  as  they 
were  called.  Le  Puy  and  Mirecourt  were  the  best- 
known  places  of  their  manufacture,  and  these  laces  are 
made  there  yet.  The  patterns  have  changed  little, 
being  geometric,  with  formal  floral  forms  and  star-like 
centres. 

The  making  of  these  laces  at  the  present  time  is  one 
of  the  chief  industries  of  Auvergne,  where  nearly  200,000 
women,  living  simple  lives  in  the  mountains,  add  to 
their  meagre  incomes  by  lace-making.  They  are  able 
quickly  to  follow  the  dictates  of  fashion,  since  they  can 
vary  the  materials  with  which  they  work  :  silk,  worsted, 
and  goat's  or  even  rabbit's  hair  being  employed  with 
equal  facility.  The  most  popular  lace  of  the  last  century 
upon  which  they  have  been  employed  is  a  black  silk 
Guipure.  Cluny  lace,  a  new  name  for  the  old-fashioned 
pa.wcmcnt,  was  also  a  favourite  for  a  period,  the  name 
being  derived  from  the  famous  Cluny  Museum  in  Paris, 
where  examples  of  ancient  laces  are  preserved. 

The  old  gold  and  silver  laces  are  still  made,  but  of 
course  in  greatly  diminished  quantities,  since  this  form 
of  the  fabric  is  no  longer  used  on  men's  dresses. 
130 


<X<C<<<$>0<*XXXK^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

The  fancy  for  laces  with  fine  grounds,  which  was  so 
marked  in  the  eighteenth  century,  was  a  great  misfortune 
to  the  Guipure-making  centres. 

Point  de  Milan,  another  pillow-made  lace,  suffered 
also,  since  it  was  a  lace  of  scrolls  and  large  effects,  the 
gimp  being  rather  heavy. 

The  dress  of  the  elegantes  of  the  period  of  Louis  XV 
abounded  in  every  description  of  sumptuous  negligees. 
Many  of  these  gowns  were  of  the  finest  lawn  and  mus- 
lin, very  richly  bedecked  with  lace,  which  had  to  com- 
bine the  qualities  of  a  filmy  lightness  and  a  capability 
of  "  doing  up  "  well.  Valenciennes  lace  seemed  most 
happily  to  combine  these  qualities.  By  this  time  it  had 
passed  through  the  various  stages  of  different  ground- 
works, and  the  clear  square  or  diamond-shaped  mesh 
had  been  adopted,  its  regularity  displaying  the  floral 
ornament  of  the  pattern  to  the  best  advantage. 

For  elegant  dress,  when  silk  lace  was  demanded, 
Chantilly,  after  a  period  devoted  to  experiment  and 
struggle,  suddenly  sprang  to  the  fore.  The  material 
employed  for  the  black  laces  is  a  silk  thread  called 
Grenadine  dAlais,  and  the  patterns  of  the  old  Chantilly, 
whether  of  black  or  white  silk,  are  distinguished  by  the 
introduction  of  vases  and  baskets  to  hold  the  flowers 
which  form  the  design.  Black  laces,  however,  never 
had  the  vogue  of  white,  and  were  chiefly  used  by  elderly 
ladies,  for  shawls,  scarfs,  and  any  outdoor  garments, 
or  for  mounting  over  a  brilliant  colour.  It  is  much 
more  in  demand  now  than  in  either  the  seventeenth 

137 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


or  eighteenth  centuries,  and  more  workers  are  engaged 
in  its  manufacture. 

When  Marie  Antoinette  came  to  the  throne,  the 
heavier  laces,  except  on  regulation  court  robes,  were  laid 
aside,  and  the  light  pillow-made  Blondes  substituted. 
The  term  Blonde  arose  from  the  fact  that  the  lace  was 
first  made  with  unbleached  silk  of  a  pale  straw-colour. 
Two  sizes  of  thread  were  used  :  one  very  fine  for  the 
ground,  and  a  coarser  one  for  the  pattern.  The  cream- 
coloured  silk  is  no  longer  used,  but  white  and  black 
only.  The  predilection  of  Marie  Antoinette  for  this  par- 
ticular make  of  lace  is  evident  not  only  from  her  portraits 
by  Mme  Le  Brun,  but  also  from  the  accounts  left  by 
her  dressmaker,  Mme  Eloffe,  who  records  dress  after 
dress  trimmed  with  it.  Mdlle  Bertin,  on  the  other 
hand,  furnishes  but  one  gown  trimmed  with  Blonde. 
The  patterns  she  liked  best  were  with  sparsely  covered 
grounds,  merely  the  edge  bearing  a  floral  design.  The 
sprigs,  dots,  spots,  and  oval-shaped  dots  called  "  tears  " 
(most  appropriately  for  the  poor  Queen),  now  came  in 
vogue. 

Two  styles  of  lace  called  Tulle  and  "  Marli,"  to  be 
distinguished  only  by  the  different  shaped  mesh,  also 
became  popular  during  the  time  of  Louis  XVI.  By 
1775  there  is  mention  made  of  a  family  of  lace-makers 
named  Gantes,  living  in  the  town  of  Tulle.  The  early 
lace  of  this  character  was  merely  a  net  ground  without 
ornament.  The  same  name  has  been  given  to  the  machine- 
made  net  of  later  days,  and  there  is  enough  variety 


A"  /,/T.- 
mid  Mn  rii' 
sleeve   ruffle 


arc  Argenian.     Portrait  by  Drouais. 


dr-    I''r<incp.      Tlir 
cop  mid  crtivat  and  ruffs 


FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

among  these  manufactured  products  to  have  given  them 
definite  names,  such  as  Brussels  Tulle,  Bobbin  Tulle, 
Tulle  Point  (T Esprit,  and  many  others. 

The  Marli  lace  takes  its  name  from  the  famous  chateau 
of  Louis  XIV  which  stands  between  Versailles  and  St. 
Germain.  Marli  lace  was  often  thickly  strewn  with 
tiny  square  dots  (like  modern  Point  d' Esprit]  and  was 
very  diaphanous  and  exceedingly  becoming  in  ruches 
and  frills. 

Marie  Antoinette's  accounts  abound  with  mention  of 
both  Tulle  and  Marli.  So  great  was  the  demand  for 
these  laces  prior  to  the  Revolution  that  statistics  show 
that  over  100,000  workwomen  were  employed  in  mak- 
ing them.  During  the  last  few  months  of  the  Queen's 
life,  before  she  left  Versailles,  she  wore  black  laces  only. 
When  she  finally  left  for  Paris,  on  October  6,  1789,  she 
gave  away  to  her  ladies  what  were  left  of  her  laces  and 
fans. 

Ladies  still  occupied  themselves  in  working  at  this 
pretty  art,  with  simple  patterns ;  and  Rousseau,  in  his 
book  "  Emile,"  speaking  of  one  of  the  characters  being 
a  good  needlewoman,  says,  — 

— "  but  that  work  which  she  prefers  above  all  others  is  lace-making, 
because  it  necessitates  a  pretty  attitude,  and  provides  an  exercise 
for  the  fingers  which  involves  more  grace  and  lightness  of  touch."" 

The  Revolution  was  as  much  a  death-blow  to  bobbin 
as  to  needle-point  lace.  Valenciennes  never  recovered, 
and  Chantilly  languished  for  many  years,  finally  taking 
a  new  start  at  Bayeux,  where  the  styles  of  lace  formerly 

139 


&&Q^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

made  at  Chantilly  were  revived  with  great  success. 
Mrs.  Palliser  says  that  lace  was  never  more  in  vogue 
than  in  the  early  days  of  the  first  Empire,  and  the 
orders  given  by  Napoleon  and  the  members  of  his  family 
and  court  were  the  richest  ever  received  by  the  French 
lace-workers.  His  sister  Pauline,  Princess  Borghese, 
says  herself  that  she  is  "  passionately  fond  of  lace,"  and 
her  portraits  show  that  it  was  always  used  in  some 
fashion  or  other  on  her  gowns.  The  bed-coverings 
ordered  for  Marie  Louise  by  Napoleon  were  made  of 
Alencon,  and,  besides  the  bedspread,  consisted  of  tester, 
valance,  pillow-cases,  and  curtains. 

The  Empress  Eugenie  was  also  fond  of  lace,  and 
much  Alen9on  was  bought  for  her.  She  had  one 
flounce  of  Alen9on  of  such  exquisite  quality  that  its 
manufacture  occupied  thirty-six  women  for  a  year  and 
a  half.  Marie  Antoinette  and  the  Empress  Eugenie 
were,  however,  equally  fond  of  Blonde  lace,  and  in  the 
celebrated  portrait  by  Winterhalter  the  Empress  wears 
a  gown  trimmed  with  it.  This  piece  of  Elonde,  3j 
yards  in  length  and  20  inches  wide,  was  sold  in  London 
in  April,  1902,  for  48  guineas  ($252), —  not  a  large  price 
considering  its  history. 

Even  before  her  marriage,  while  Mile  Montijo,  she 
delighted  in  visiting  the  lace  shops  and  hunting  out 
choice  pieces.  In  18G5  she  organised  a  competition 
among  the  lace-workers  of  Chantilly  and  Alen9on  for 
two  dresses,  one  of  each  style,  and  when  they  were 
completed,  dressed  in  the  Alencon  gown,  she  distributed 
140 


LA'l  E  XLV.-A.  "]>(«•  Valrnclrnnvs" 
showint/  <i  hit  of  fond  de  ni'iife,  or  snowy  back- 
ground. Jiobli'm  laci'.  Enrlif  Ei<fh(r.enth  Century. 
Ji.  OU  1>I  ark  chant  illy,  irith  double  </  round. 
Bobbin  lace.  Early  Eighteenth  Century. 


$X^X^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

the  prizes.  The  price  given  for  the  gown  she  chose  was 
£3,000  ($15,000). 

The  layette  of  the  Prince  Imperial  was  quite  as  rich 
as  that  of  his  predecessors,  the  King  of  Rome,  or  the 
"  Grande  BebeY'  as  Louis  XIV  was  called.  The  chris- 
tening-robe, with  its  cap  and  mantle,  was  composed  of 
Alencon,  while  the  same  lace  was  used  for  the  coverlet 
of  the  cradle,  the  curtains  of  which  were  of  finest  old 
Mechlin.  His  frocks,  of  which  there  were  twelve 
dozen,  were  either  trimmed  or  largely  composed  of  this 
same  costly  lace,  and  the  caps  and  aprons  of  his  nurses 
were  also  trimmed  with  it. 

There  was  another  bobbin  lace  often  mentioned  in 
the  contemporary  literature  of  the  day  during  the  six- 
teenth and  succeeding  centuries,  called  Mignonette, 
which  was  a  light,  inexpensive  trimming  and  popular 
among  the  lower  and  middle  classes.  The  farmer's  wife 
generally  managed  to  have  enough  Mignonette  to  trim 
her  best  caps,  its  lightness  rendering  it  admirable  for 
this  use.  The  lace  was  made  from  thread  bleached  and 
spun  at  Antwerp,  and  was  never  more  than  two  or 
three  inches  wide.  It  was  largely  exported,  and  was 
made  not  only  in  Paris,  but  in  Lorraine,  Auvergne, 
Normandy,  and  Switzerland.  This  is  one  of  the  laces 
of  which  an  old  writer  speaks  as  being  exported  in  large 
quantities  to  the  "  islands  of  America." 

Paris  herself  was  long  a  lace-making  centre,  records 
existing  as  far  back  as  early  in  the  seventeenth  century. 
The  more  common  laces  like  Mignonette,  Bisette.,  and 

141 


<K*OO<XXX^ 

THE    LACE   BOOK 

Point  de  Paris  were  those  earliest  made  by  the  Hugue- 
nots who  settled  there.  As  finer  laces  were  required  these 
Paris  laces  improved  and  became  fine  and  delicate  in 
quality.  Gold  lace  was  made  in  Paris  long  before  the 
time  of  Colbert,  and  was  known  as  Point  tfEspagne. 
It  was  often  enriched  with  pearls  and  jewels  and  was 
renowned  all  over  Europe  for  its  fine  workmanship  and 
beauty.  The  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  broke 
up  its  manufacture.  These  makers  of  gold  and  silver 
lace  in  the  time  of  Louis  XIV  had  their  own  particular 
quarter  in  the  Rue  Sainte-Honord  and  Rue  des  Bour- 
donnais,  while  the  thread-lace  shops  were  confined  to 
the  Rue  Betizy. 

In  1704  a  report  made  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
of  Paris  estimated  that  one-fourth  of  the  population, 
varying  in  age  from  six  to  seventy  years  and  of  many 
conditions  of  life,  supported  themselves  either  wholly 
or  in  part  by  the  making  of  lace.  The  number  fell  off 
greatly,  so  that  in  1850  there  were  but  250,000  workers. 
In  1903  there  were  barely  120,000,  and  these  cannot 
make  a  living,  as  the  work  is  poorly  paid,  the  most 
skilful  earning  about  two  francs  for  twelve  hours'  work, 
while  the  ordinary  workers  receive  but  from  60  to  80 
centimes. 

But  Paris,  as  several  times  before,  has  awakened  to 
the  folly  of  letting  such  a  valuable  industry  die.  On 
June  10,  1903,  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  passed  two 
short  clauses  which  were  appended  to  the  Code  of 
Education,  enacting  that  in  the  lace-making  departments 
142 


()i($)^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

and  centres  of  France  special  instruction  "should  be 
given  in  lace  making  and  designing,  with  the  object  of 
developing  and  perfecting  the  artistic  education  of  the 
workers." 

"  Hitherto  a  child  has  been  compelled  to  attend  the  primary 
schools  until  the  age  of  thirteen.  Now,  such  laces  as  the  Alencon 
and  the  exquisite  and  rare  Rose  Point  require  an  apprenticeship 
of  at  least  five  years.  Therefore  it  follows  that  a  girl  will  be  an 
expense  and  a  burden  upon  her  parents  for  nineteen  years,  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time,  according  to  present  rates  of  payment,  she 
will  be  capable  of  earning  only  from  60  to  80  centimes  at  first, 
reaching  2  francs  a  day  when  she  has  attained  great  proficiency. 
Naturally,  parents  prefer  farm  labour  or  domestic  service  for 
their  daughters,  and  hence  there  is  a  constant  drainage  from  the 
country  districts  to  the  large  towns." 

If  the  new  clauses  be  intelligently  administered,  the 
new  schools  of  lace  design  and  lace-making  will  have 
the  very  desirable  effect  of  stemming  the  tide  which  is 
rapidly  depopulating  the  country  districts,  by  providing 
the  girls  with  a  means  of  livelihood  at  a  still  early  age. 
The  principal  centres  of  lace-making  to-day  are 
Paris,  with  her  revived  interest  in  the  art,  and  the 
Le  Puy  district,  which,  earliest  in  the  field,  still  holds 
her  own  as  to  quality  and  quantity  of  lace  made  there. 
The  100,000  lace-makers  are  scattered  along  the  Haute 
Loire,  and  in  the  Puy  de  Dome,  where  the  women 
meet  at  the  house  of  one  whom  they  call  the  "  beate." 
This  woman,  for  a  small  sum,  provides  a  fire  and  light, 
and,  to  help  pass  the  long  day,  either  reads  or  tells 
stories.  It  is  in  Normandy  that  the  lace-workers,  as 
their  ancestors  did  centuries  ago,  take  their  pillows  to 

143 


X^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

the  lofts  over  the  cow-houses,  gaining  a  slight  warmth 
from  the  beasts  beneath  them,  which  obviates  the  smoke 
and  expense  of  a  fire.  These  Normandy  peasant 
workers  still  use  the  patterns  handed  down  by  previous 
generations,  their  strong  artistic  sense  enabling  them  to 
improve  them  and  give  them  great  grace  and  delicacy. 
Machine-made  lace  is  not  so  great  a  rival  as  one  might 
fear.  Real  lace  always  has  been  and  always  will  be  an 
article  of  luxury  within  the  reach  only  of  the  few,  and 
these  will  always  buy  it.  In  many  old  French  families 
there  are  pieces  of  lace  which  have  been  heirlooms  for 
generations,  and  which  have  a  value  to  persons  of  taste 
and  culture  beyond  even  that  of  the  family  jewels.  We 
have  quoted  from  the  expense  account  of  the  Due  de 
PenthieVre  for  the  year  1738,  when  his  ruffles  and  sets 
of  lace  embraced  ells  of  the  most  costly  makes.  That 
these  precious  fabrics  have  been  carefully  preserved  is 
most  certain,  since  the  present  Due  de  Penthie'vre,  in 
April,  1903,  presented  to  his  ward,  on  her  marriage  with 
the  Marquis  Gouy  d'Arsy,  some  priceless  old  laces. 
The  Comtesse  de  Chateaubriand  is  another  holder  of 
quantities  of  antique  lace  treasures,  and  interest  in  re- 
viving this  industry  is  felt  not  only  in  France,  but  in 
Italy  and  England  as  well. 

Reference  List  of  FrencJi  Lace 

POINTS  DE  FRANCE.    This  was  the  name  given  during 
the  reign  of  Louis  XIV  to  those  rich  laces  made  in 
France  which  were  almost  exact  copies  of  the  Venice 
144 


T^LATtt     XLTf.  —  (Jurat.     Marii'    Antoiwtt<> 
(1755-1793).      The  luce  on  skirt,  rorsatfe,  and 
sleeves  Is  Blonde.     Portrait  /»//  Mint'  Lrhrnn. 


FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

and  Milan  laces  of  the  same  period.  These  home-made 
laces  were  intended  to  take  the  places  of  Italian  and 
Flemish  laces,  and  they  did.  Their  cost,  however,  was 
extreme,  so  that  their  wear  was  confined  to  the  wealthy. 
The  mode  of  making  these  laces  was  similar  to  that 
employed  in  the  Gros  Point  de  Venise,  and  it  was 
under  the  superintendence  of  Mme  Gilbert  that  the 
French  and  Italian  workers  evolved  the  beautiful  fabric 
which  became  known  a  little  later  as  Point  dAlencon. 
During  the  time  of  Louis  XIV  the  groundwork  of 
Points  de  France  had  been  rather  regular  meshes,  which 
were  ornamented  by  loops  or  picots.  Little  by  little 
these  meshes  were  reduced  in  size,  and  grew  to  the 
ground  called  petit  rcseau,  or  small  mesh.  The  hand- 
somest of  the  Points  de  France  at  the  commencement 
of  the  eighteenth  century  was  known  as — 

POINT  DE  SEDAN.  The  city  of  Sedan  was  selected 
by  Colbert  as  one  of  his  lace  centres,  and  this  large- 
meshed  lace,  with  bold  springing  patterns,  was  success- 
fully made  there.  The  lace  has  a  varied  thickness 
imparted  to  it  by  different  stitches  which  give  high  relief 
in  some  parts  of  the  pattern.  Much  of  this  lace  was 
used  on  the  splendid  rochets  of  the  bishops  of  that  time. 
It  closely  resembles  Gros  Point  de  Venise.  The  use  of 
lace  during  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV  was  prodigious. 
Even  such  visitors  as  came  to  the  court  were  presented 
with  cravats,  collars,  and  cuffs  by  the  magnificent  Louis. 

POINT  D'ALEN^ON.  The  final  evolution  of  this  lace 
was  completed  by  about  1678,  and  from  this  time  was 

145 


10 


^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 


called  by  the  distinctive  title  of  Aler^on.  The  quality 
of  this  lace,  which  is  a  needle  point,  is  its  crisp  firmness, 
due  to  the  character  of  the  cordonnet,  or  outline,  to  the 
edge  of  the  pattern,  which  is  made  of  horsehair,  giving 
it  a  peculiar  wiry  feeling,  as  well  as  a  firmness  to  which 
is  due  the  preservation  of  much  of  this  perishable  fabric. 
Louis  XIV  and  Louis  XV  were  its  two  greatest  patrons, 
and  with  the  Revolution  in  1794  it  suffered  greatly  and 
has  never  again  assumed  the  place  it  once  held. 

The  process  of  making  Alen9on  is  tedious  in  the 
extreme.  After  the  grounds  became  small,  the  button- 
hole stitch  was  too  thick  and  clumsy,  and  a  lighter  and 
clearer  mesh  was  found  to  be  necessary.  After  much 
experimenting  this  grew  to  be  the  hexagonal  mesh 
known  as  the  distinctive  Alen^on  ground.  The  lace  is 
made  in  sections,  each  part  by  a  different  worker,  and 
the  sections  are  afterward  joined  by  nearly  invisible 
stitches.  The  pattern  is  printed  on  bits  of  parchment 
about  ten  inches  long,  green  being  the  colour  commonly 
used,  as  showing  up  the  lace  better.  The  pattern  is 
then  pricked,  and  the  parchment  is  stitched  to  a  piece 
of  coarse  linen.  The  outline  of  the  pattern  is  then  laid 
on  the  parchment  in  two  flat  threads  held  in  place  by 
tiny  stitches  which  go  through  the  holes  in  the  parch- 
ment. This  is  the  first  stage,  and  is  the  only  part  of 
the  work  done  by  this  particular  workwoman.  The 
laid  outline  is  then  given  to  another  worker,  who  fills  in 
the  ground,  or  rcxcaii.  The  worker  of  the  flowers  uses 
a  long  needle,  and  her  task  is  to  make  the  buttonhole 
14G 


&$&Qi()i(#^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

stitch,  worked  from  left  to  right,  giving  an  evenness 
which  is  one  of  the  greatest  beauties  of  this  lace.  Then 
come  the  special  workers  of  the  various  fillings  or  Jours, 
which  give  so  much  variety,  and  then,  this  section 
being  complete,  a  sharp  knife  is  used  to  separate  the 
lace  from  the  parchment,  and  the  final  and  trying  work 
of  uniting  all  the  bits  into  one  perfect  piece  is  all  that 
remains. 

When  the  groundwork  was  a  "  bride  "  ground,  of  a 
large  six-sided  mesh,  the  labour  was  even  greater,  as 
each  of  the  six  sides  was  worked  over  with  seven  or 
eight  buttonhole  stitches.  This  firm  ground  and  the 
horsehair  introduced  into  the  border  made  this  lace  par- 
ticularly desirable  for  those  towering  head-dresses  worn 
by  French  women  for  so  many  years.  The  chief  draw- 
back to  this  lace  was  that  it  washed  badly,  since  the 
horsehair  thickened  and  spoiled  the  shape  of  the  lace. 

The  wedding  dress  of  the  Empress  Eugenie  consisted 
of  four  flounces  of  Alencon  which  completely  covered 
the  white  satin  skirt,  and  the  same  lace  was  also  used  on 
the  high-necked  corsage  and  on  the  sleeves. 

The  prices  paid  for  these  laces  in  auctions  to-day 
compare  favourably  with  what  they  brought  in  the  hey- 
day of  their  fame.  Within  the  past  year,  at  Christie's, 
in  London,  an  Alencon  panel  for  a  dress  front,  44 
inches  deep  and  17  inches  wide,  brought  £43  ($215). 
A  length  of  2i  yards  of  flouncing  14  inches  deep,  show- 
ing a  charming  design  of  flowers  tied  up  with  ribbons, 
sold  for  £46  ($230). 

147 


>^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

A  famous  English  collector  of  fine  old  laces  was  Sir 
William  R.  Drake,  and,  by  the  way,  it  is  chiefly  men 
whom  the  collecting  fever  strikes  most  deeply.  Not 
only  to  such  subjects  as  books  and  furniture  do  they 
confine  themselves,  but  to  such  feminine  subjects  as 
china  and  lace  are  they  ardently  devoted.  Mr.  Paige 
bequeathed  to  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  his 
splendid  collection,  which  it  took  him  years  to  gather. 
Sir  William  Drake's,  unfortunately,  came  under  the 
hammer,  and  some  of  the  specimens  were  sold  at 
Christie's,  April  24,  1902.  The  prices  of  some  of  the 
choicest  of  these  pieces  are  given  to  serve  as  a  criterion 
to  owners  and  buyers,  although  it  was  acknowledged 
that  the  prices  brought  on  this  occasion  were  unusually 
high,  but  the  quality  and  condition  of  the  pieces  must 
be  taken  into  account.  The  highest  price  paid  was 
£460  ($2,300)  for  a  flounce  of  Point  (TArgentan,  4  yards 
long  and  25  inches  deep.  The  pattern  was  a  bold  and 
graceful  one  with  scrolls  and  arabesques  appearing 
among  the  flowers.  A  length  of  Point  de  Venise,  58 
inches  long,  and  24  inches  deep,  with  conventional  flower 
pattern,  brought  £360  ($1,800).  There  was  a  third  piece 
of  lace,  4  yards  of  the  finest  old  Italian  Rose  Point, 
which,  although  but  11  \  inches  deep,  brought  the  large 
sum  of  £420  ($2,100),  making  the  cost  $525  a  yard. 
The  exquisite  workmanship  and  nearly  perfect  condition 
of  this  piece  brought  out  many  competitors. 

White  lace  is  always  more  in  demand  than  black,  for 
at  this  same  sale  some  fine  black  Chantilly,  23  inches 
148 


JJLATE    XLVII.  —  La  JJuchesM    d'Aumale. 
Flounces  of  black  chant-illy  lace.     Nineteenth 
Century.     Portrait  ly  Winterhalter. 


^^ 
FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

wide,  brought  but  £2  ($10)  a  yard,  while  3|  yards  of 
8-inch  width  fetched  but  a  guinea  ($5.25). 

At  the  present  time  Alen9on  lace  is  made  in  Ale^on, 
Bayeux,  and  even  in  Venice.  It  is  being  imported  in 
fair  quantities  to  America,  since  each  year  there  is  a 
slowly  increasing  demand  for  "  real  lace,"  as  it  is  called 
in  distinction  from  that  which  is  machine-made.  It 
does  not  take  the  rank  it  once  did :  Brussels,  Mechlin, 
and  Valenciennes  taking  precedence  over  it. 

POINT  D'AIIGENTAN.  Like  Alen9on,  Argentan  is 
also  a  needle-point  lace,  these  two  being  the  only  needle- 
point laces  of  France  with  a  net  ground.  The  name 
Alen9on  is  a  much  more  familiar  one  than  Argentan, 
although  the  two  laces  were  originated  at  about  the 
same  time ;  yet  the  output  from  Argentan  never 
reached  the  amount  made  at  Alencon.  In  1744,  when 
the  manufacture  of  lace  was  progressing  briskly,  there 
were  at  Argentan  about  1,200  workers,  while  at 
Alencon  and  its  neighbourhood  the  number  was  close 
to  8,000.  This  was  the  period  when,  in  order  to  supply 
the  demand,  work-people  were  enticed  from  one  town 
to  the  other, — to  the  great  uneasiness  of  the  super- 
intendents who  had  large  orders  to  fill. 

In  1788,  according  to  that  indefatigable  traveller, 
Arthur  Young,  the  industry  at  Argentan  was  very 
flourishing,  since  the  value  of  the  lace  made  there 
exceeded  500,000  livres  ($100,000).  The  Revolution 
killed  the  manufacture  of  this  lace,  which  was  revived 
in  1808,  but  failed  in  1810.  By  1874  it  was  once  again 

149 


^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

re-established,  and  the  lace  is  still  made  in  small  quan- 
tities. The  difference  between  the  two  laces  is  chiefly 
a  matter  of  grounds,  that  of  Alen^on  being  a  reseau  or 
small-mesh  ground,  while  that  of  Argentan  was  coarse 
enough  to  be  called  a  "  bride "  or  bar  ground.  The 
patterns  are  larger,  bolder,  and  more  scroll-like,  the 
relief  higher,  and  the  workmanship  coarser  and  more 
effective,  from  its  close  patterns  and  clear  bride  ground, 
than  the  more  minutely  worked  Alen^on.  The  hex- 
agonal bride,  the  great  characteristic  of  Argentan  lace, 
has  sometimes  worked  within  each  mesh  a  small  six-sided 
solid  dot.  This  particular  style  of  ground  was  called 
reseau  rosace.  Another  famous  ground  was  the  bride 
picotee,  or  bride  bouclee,  as  it  was  called,  since  each 
bride  or  bar  was  ornamented  with  four  or  five  little 
loops  or  picots  of  thread  which  gave  it  a  very  ornate 
appearance.  The  style  of  manufacture  is  similar  to 
that  of  Alen9on. 

The  other  well-known  laces  of  France — Valenciennes, 
Chantilly,  Blonde,  and  Tulle — are  all  bobbin  laces. 
The  first  province  in  France  to  establish  the  making  of 
pillow  lace  was  Auvergne,  and  its  earliest  product,  the 
precious  gold  and  silver  laces,  was  largely  exported  to 
Spain,  since  the  consumption  of  these  rich  trimmings  in 
that  country  largely  exceeded  the  home  manufacture. 
Even  in  the  face  of  the  fact  that  many  of  the  inhabitants 
of  France  depended  on  this  industry  for  their  support, 
they  were  harassed  by  sumptuary  edicts  of  the  most 
stringent  character. 
1.50 


TOLA  TE  XL  VIII.     Spanish  needle  point.     Six- 
teenth    Century.       Photograph     by     Charles 
Ball  lard. 


FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

In  1639  the  Parliament  of  Toulouse  issued  a  decree 
which  the  seneschal  of  Le  Puy  made  known  to  the 
inhabitants  throughout  the  town  at  the  sound  of  the 
trumpet.  This  decree  prohibited,  under  penalty  of  a 
large  fine,  "  everybody  of  either  sex,  quality,  or  con- 
dition from  wearing  any  sort  of  lace,  whether  of  silk  or 
white  thread  with  glittering  passement  of  gold  or  silver, 
real  or  false." 

It  can  be  imagined  into  what  a  desperate  condition 
such  a  foolish  move  threw  the  lace-makers  of  the 
region.  They  were  rescued  by  the  eloquence  of  a 
Jesuit  priest,  who  prevailed  on  the  Parliament  in  1640 
to  revoke  the  decree,  and  for  his  good  offices  the  lace- 
makers  chose  him  as  their  patron  saint,  and  St. 
Francois  Regis  is  still  invoked  by  the  lace-workers  of 
Auvergne. 

The  Aurillac  laces  of  gold  and  silver  were  in  demand 
at  court.  A  mantle  of  "Point  d'Aur  iliac  gold  and 
silver  "  belonged  to  the  Prince  de  Conti,  and  it  was  also 
used  for  veils,  sleeves,  and  guards  or  bands  bordering 
garments. 

CLUNY  LACE.  The  Guipure  made  at  Le  Puy  and 
an  old  variety  of  lace  has  of  late  years  been  called 
Cluny  lace.  It  is  a  coarse  lace  with  brides  or  bars,  and 
is  very  effective,  particularly  when  made  in  black.  The 
old  patterns  were  fine  and  graceful,  both  in  scrolls  and 
in  floral  forms,  and  there  is  a  certain  rich  elegance  to 
the  black  lace  which  makes  it  seem  strange  that  it  has  not 
become  more  popular.  The  earliest  history  of  this  style 

151 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

of  lace  is  entirely  lost.  It  was  the  trimming  called  Opus 
Filatorium  in  ancient  times,  and  then  was  Opus  Arach- 
neum,  or  Spider  Work,  in  the  Middle  Ages.  Patterns 
for  this  work  filled  the  pattern-books  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  it  was  superior  to  darned  netting  in  having 
wheels,  circles,  and  raised  stitches  to  give  it  variety. 
While  this  was  a  needle  lace,  its  modern  namesake  is  a 
bobbin  lace,  geometric  in  character,  and  following  the 
antique  patterns  more  or  less  closely. 

VALENCIENNES.  The  name  Valenciennes  was  not 
applied  to  this  lace  until  the  eighteenth  century.  Its 
first  home,  at  the  period  when  Colbert  was  superintend- 
ing the  lace  industry  of  France,  was  Le  Quesnoy. 
The  lace  produced  there,  however,  was  very  unlike  that 
into  which  it  ultimately  grew,  the  details  of  ornamenta- 
tion and  of  ground  passing  through  different  phases. 
Lace  has  been  made  in  this  region,  with  bobbins,  since 
the  fifteenth  century,  when  it  is  said  that  a  worker 
named  Chauvin  started  lace-making.  The  early  styles, 
with  small  bars  or  ties,  were  replaced  by  different 
grounds,  one  of  the  most  famous  being  the  "fond  de 
ncige"  or  snowy  ground,  formed  by  little  dots  regularly 
made  between  the  twisted  meshes.  The  clear  open 
ground  with  the  diamond-shaped  mesh  is  of  perfect 
regularity.  The  pattern  and  mesh  are  made  by  the 
same  threads,  passing  through  the  hands  of  one  worker 
only.  There  is  no  heavier  thread  for  outline  as  in  the 
case  of  Mechlin  and  some  other  Flanders  lace,  and  the 
beautiful  and  durable  quality  of  this  lace  is  one  of  its 
152 


"^•"y-'V^v'^V^V^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

great  merits.  When  the  desire  for  choice  laces  was  at 
its  height,  the  making  of  this  lace  in  its  perfection 
was  carried  on  in  the  town  of  Valenciennes,  so  this 
name  was  bestowed  upon  it.  Only  the  lace  made 
actually  within  the  town  limits  was  called  v rai  Valen- 
ciennes; that  made  outside,  whether  in  France  or  Belgium, 
was  called  fausse  Valenciennes.  The  Revolution  was 
responsible  for  the  disappearance  of  this  industry  from 
the  town  of  Valenciennes,  and  what  was  French  loss 
was  Flemish  gain. 

The  modern  Valenciennes  is  much  less  ornate  and 
elaborate  than  the  old.  The  French  lace  owed  its 
superiority  to  the  greater  number  of  times  the  bobbin 
was  twisted  in  forming  the  mesh,  and  it  was  this 
frequent  twisting  which  caused  the  lace  to  be  so 
costly,  since  it  required  so  much  time  to  complete 
even  one  inch. 

Arthur  Young,  whom  we  have  quoted  before,  says  that 
in  1788  Valenciennes  lace  about  three  inches  wide,  for 
gentlemen's  ruffles,  cost  about  216  livres  ($43)  an  ell 
(48  inches).  Some  lace-workers  could  make  but  half  an 
ell  (24  inches)  in  a  year,  and  the  wages  were  but  20  to 
30  sous  a  day.  Even  at  such  starvation  prices  there 
were  3,600  workers  in  the  city  alone,  carrying  on  their 
labour  in  dark,  damp  cellars,  since  under  such  conditions 
the  thread  worked  more  smoothly.  No  wonder  that 
the  trimming  of  one  of  Mme  Du  Barry's  pillow-cases 
cost  487  francs  ($97),  and  that  a  pair  of  lappets  were 
priced  at  1,030  francs  ($206). 

153 


#]^^ 

THE    LACE   BOOK 

A  piece  of  lace  made  throughout  by  the  same  hand 
was  more  valuable,  when  this  could  be  certified,  than  that 
made  by  several  workers.  It  is  to  be  conceived  how 
great  the  extravagance  was  when  it  is  taken  into 
account  that  this  was  never  a  "  dress "  lace,  and  never 
appeared  on  grande  toilette  of  either  men  or  women. 

CHANTILLY  LACE,  a  bobbin  lace  made  of  silk,  was 
first  made  early  in  the  eighteenth  century  at  a  lace 
school  founded  by  the  Duchesse  de  Longueville.  It 
was  here  that  the  double  ground  which  characterises 
this  lace  was  evolved  and  made,  in  the  form  of  narrow 
edging  laces.  The  second  epoch  was  that  of  Guipures 
of  silk,  both  white  and  black,  the  latter  being  the  black 
silk  Blonde  lace  which  made  Chantilly  famous.  They 
were  not  highly  esteemed  at  first,  but  after  they  received 
the  sanction  of  the  court  they  became  very  popular. 
The  old  patterns,  in  either  black  or  white,  are  quite 
remarkable  for  the  presence  of  vases  or  baskets  which 
hold  flowers,  and  which  are  similar  to  the  forms  of 
Chantilly  pottery  made  at  the  same  period.  Sprays, 
branches,  and  vines  spring  from  the  vases  and  show  to 
admirable  advantage  upon  the  clear  ground.  The 
grenadine  silk  thread  used  for  the  black  laces  sometimes 
loses  its  brilliancy  in  the  constant  twisting  of  the 
bobbins,  and  this  has  given  rise  to  the  idea  that  this 
lace  is  sometimes  made  with  an  admixture  of  flax 
thread. 

The  ground  or  mesh  is  lozenge-shaped,  crossed  at 
opposite  ends  by  horizontal  threads.  This  forms  what 


*LA  TE     XL  I X.  —  White 
J'jiyhteenth  Century. 


Spanish    Blonde. 


)l&)l^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

was  called  the  double  ground.  Many  charming  fillings 
are  introduced  into  the  flowers,  and  are  called  by  a 
variety  of  fanciful  names,  such  as  vitre,  mariage  or 
cinq  trous. 

The  disappearance  of  a  lace  from  the  town  of  its 
birth,  and  its  reappearance  in  another  quarter  or  even 
in  another  country,  is  one  of  the  strange  features  of 
this  industry.  During  the  nineteenth  century  the 
making  of  black  lace  was  revived  at  those  busy  lace 
centres,  Caen  and  Bayeux,  where  many  thousand 
workers  are  engaged  in  making  Chantilly,  which  far 
exceeds  in  beauty  and  delicacy  the  old  laces.  A  large 
variety  of  textures  is  the  great  feature  of  this  modern 
lace,  many  grounds  being  introduced  into  each  piece, 
with  proportionate  variety  in  the  pattern  or  toile.  The 
French  black  silk  laces  greatly  excel  in  beauty  those 
made  in  Belgium,  the  latter  being  less  varied  in  their 
gradations,  and  less  rich  in  the  beautiful  openwork 
which  outlines  leaves,  flowers,  and  scrolls  in  the  Nor- 
mandy laces. 

BLONDE  LACE.  Under  the  general  heading  of  Blonde 
will  be  included  Blonde  de  Caen,  as  well  as  Blonde  net. 
White  silk  bobbin  lace  was  first  made  at  Caen  about 
1745,  taking  the  place  of  the  flax  laces  previously  made 
there.  The  early  laces  were  creamy  in  colour,  and  were 
sometimes  called  Nankin,  as  the  silk  of  which  they  were 
made  was  imported  from  China.  Gradually  they  im- 
proved in  colour,  as  the  preparation  of  the  silk  was  also 
improved,  and  these  delicate  white  silk  laces  were  much 

155 


X#X<<^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

sought  on  account  of  their  beauty  and  becoming 
quality. 

Two  sizes  of  thread  are  used,  one  for  the  mesh  and 
another  for  the  pattern,  and  both  pattern  and  mesh 
are  made  by  one  worker.  It  was  not  till  about  1840 
that  black  laces  in  the  white  lace  patterns  were  made, 
and  became  almost  as  much  the  vogue  as  the  white. 

BLONDE  NET  was  a  silk  bobbin  lace  with  a  fine  net 
ground  and  a  heavy  pattern.  The  ground  is  clear  and  fine, 
and  the  pattern  or  toile  is  worked  with  a  broad  flat  strand 
which  glistens  prettily,  and  to  this  rather  showy  quality 
it  owes  its  success,  since  it  is  not  distinguished  by 
beauty  of  pattern  or  by  any  particular  artistic  merit. 

MIGNONETTE  LACE,  or  Elonde  de  Fil,  is  another  fine 
light  bobbin  lace,  early  in  use  and  much  esteemed  even 
before  the  great  Colbert  took  in  hand  the  lace  industries 
of  France.  Before  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century 
it  was  an  important  trimming,  and  was  made  from  fine 
flax  bleached  and  spun  in  Flanders.  It  was  never  made 
more  than  an  inch  or  two  in  width,  and  so  light  and 
delicate  was  it  that  it  was  a  favourite  trimming  for 
caps.  It  has  survived  where  costlier  laces  went  down, 
and  is  still  made  in  large  quantities.  The  spelling  of 
it  varies  greatly,  from  "  mennuet "  to  "  minuit,"  accord- 
ing to  the  nationality  and  taste  of  the  speller. 

COLBERTEEN,  so  often  mentioned  in  English  satires 

of  the  seventeenth  century,  was  a  coarse  network  lace 

with  a  large  open  mesh,  used  only  for  edging  towels, 

sheets,  etc.     It  is  curious  that  only  this  third-rate  lace 

156 


*x#xxx$>c<^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

should  have  been  named  after  the  great  minister  who 
did  so  much  for  the  industry  in  France. 

DENTELLE  is  the  French  term  for  lace.  It  was  not 
applied,  however,  till  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century ; 
before  that  time  laces  were  called  passements. 

DENTELLE  FUSEAU  is  bobbin  lace. 

DENTELLE  DE  FIL  is  a  term  covering  several  varieties 
of  simple  thread  laces  like  Torchon,  or  Dentelle  a  la 
Vierge. 

DIEPPE  POINT,  as  lace  made  at  this  town  was  called, 
in  its  finer  varieties  is  of  the  same  nature  as  Valen- 
ciennes, but  much  simpler,  so  that  fewer  bobbins  are 
used.  This  kind  of  lace  has  been  used  since  the  six- 
teenth century  by  the  peasant  women  of  Normandy  for 
trimming  those  marvellous  caps  with  long  lappets  which 
are  so  esteemed  in  prosperous  families  and  handed 
down  from  one  generation  to  another.  Flemish  thread 
was  used  for  this  lace,  both  black  and  white,  and  the 
most  elaborate  patterns  did  not  cost  over  30  francs  an 
ell.  A  school  was  re-established  at  Dieppe  in  1826,  by 
some  sisters  from  a  convent,  for  even  this  simple  product 
has  suffered  from  the  throes  of  the  Revolution,  as  well 
as  by  the  demand  for  costlier  laces  by  the  aristocracy. 

There  are  several  small  inexpensive  laces  which  have 
been,  and  to  some  extent  still  are,  made  in  France. 

CAMPANE  LACE  was  an  ancient  lace,  now  unknown. 
Much  mention  is  made  of  it  in  the  contemporary 
literature  of  the  times,  and  it  was  frequently  used  as  an 
edging,  sewed  upon  muslin  ruffles,  or  even  upon  narrow 

157 


)*)*&)*0>3*C^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

laces  to  increase  their  width.  As  early  as  1690  we  find 
it  called  "  the  King  of  narrow  pricked  lace."  It  was  a 
bobbin  lace,  and  the  word  "  pricked  "  referred  to  the 
fact  that  the  pattern  was  pricked  upon  parchment. 
This  lace  was  made  not  only  of  flax  for  those  who 
desired  it,  but  also  of  gay  coloured  silks  and  even  of 
gold.  These  latter  laces  were  for  trimming  doublets  and 
mantles. 

GREUSE  or  Beggar's  lace  was  another  simple  trim- 
ming, bobbin-made,  and  rather  resembling  modern 
Torchon.  It  was  called  "  beggar's  lace"  on  account  of  its 
coarse  quality. 


158 


JJLATI1  L.—A.   Chalice    n-il.      X/H/W/.V/J 

fxilnt.     Si'MifiTiith  Ci'iititri/.     l>.    Si/k  J. 
bobbin  lace.      Nineteenth  Century. 


Spanish  Laces 


Spain  has  always  been  a  lace-wearing  country,  her 
grandees  ruffling  it  superbly  in  velvets  and  gold  lace, 
while  with  her  ladies  the  national  dress  is  largely  coin- 
posed  of  this  rich  fabric.  Though  consuming  great 
quantities  of  lace  in  its  most  costly  form,  gold  and  silver, 
Spain  has  never  made  it  in  great  quantities,  but  relied  on 
her  exports  to  furnish  her  with  the  amount  needed. 
Curiously  enough,  the  Spaniards  obtained  their  laces 
from  France,  while  the  laces  most  used  in  France  came 
from  Flanders,  but  this  was  in  1634,  before  Colbert  came 
on  the  scene. 

Later,  in  the  eighteenth  century,  Spain  acted  upon  the 
policy  that  foreign  superfluities  should  be  prohibited. 
Her  sumptuary  law  of  1723  "  has  taken  away  all  pretence 
for  importing  all  sorts  of  point  and  lace  of  white  and 
black  silk."  Being  a  Catholic  country,  her  convents 
made  drawn-  and  cut-work  in  great  quantities  for  use  in 
the  churches  and  on  ecclesiastical  garments,  following  the 
development  of  lace  in  Italy,  Flanders,  and  France,  and 
copying  with  more  or  less  success  the  fine  old  Points  of 
Venice. 

The  most  famous  lace,  Point  (TEspagne,  was  a  gold  or 
silver  lace,  and  the  name  is  thought  by  most  experts  to 
have  been  given  to  it  on  account  of  the  vast  quantities 
required  by  great  Spanish  nobles,  with  whom  it  was  a 
favourite  decoration.  Yet  this  lace  was  also  made  in 

159 


THE    LACE   BOOK 

Spain,  largely  by  the  Jews,  and  after  their  expulsion  in 
1492  the  manufacture  decreased  greatly,  while  the  de- 
mand still  continued.  As  much  of  these  splendid  laces 
were  sent  from  Italy  and  Flanders,  and  so  great  were  the 
sums  spent  for  them,  the  importation  of  them  was  finally 
prohibited  by  the  government,  save  such  as  were  neces- 
sary for  ecclesiastical  purposes. 

Lord  Tyrawley,  writing  from  Lisbon  to  the  Duke  of 
Montague  in  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
describes  his  meeting  with  the  Patriarch  on  his  way  to 
court  in  his  litter,  — 

— "  which  was  of  crimson  velvet,  laid  all  over  with  gold  lace ; 
followed  by  his  body  coach  of  the  same.  He  had  ten  led  horses, 
richly  caparisoned,  and  attended  by  six-and-thirty  footmen  in 
crimson  velvet  clothes  finely  laced  with  gold,  every  servant  having 
a  laced  cravat  and  ruffles,  with  red  silk  stockings.'" 

The  history  of  lace  in  Portugal  is  approximately  the 
same  as  it  was  in  Spain,  and  the  dress  and  equipages  of 
the  Portuguese  nobles  were  as  extravagant,  in  the  eight- 
eenth century,  as  those  of  the  Spanish  grandees. 

During  the  sixteenth  century,  when  Flanders  was 
Spanish  territory,  the  Spaniards  learned  all  that  the 
Flemings  had  to  teach  in  the  art  of  bobbin  laces,  and  of 
twisting  and  plaiting  gold  threads. 

The  convent  laces  were,  however,  chiefly  made  of 
thread,  rich  and  heavy,  and  resembling  the  Gros  Points 
dc  Peruse  from  which  they  were  copied.  There  were 
finer  laces  made,  too,  like  the  choice  French  and  Italian 
laces,  and  at  the  dissolution  of  the  monasteries,  about  the 
160 


#)f)i(}iO<)*^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  many  of  these  laces 
were  released  and  sold.  Now  were  revealed  for  the  first 
time  specimens  of  those  rich  fabrics  on  which  many  a 
nun  spent  her  eyesight  and  her  life,  and  unfinished  pieces 
of  lace  still  stitched  on  their  bits  of  parchment,  marked 
with  the  name  of  the  sister  who  was  expected  to  make  it, 
are  parts  of  the  property  preserved  in  the  convents.  They 
followed  the  plan  of  working  separate  small  bits,  the 
pieces  being  afterward  joined  by  a  superior  worker,  but 
the  laces  are  in  no  way  distinctive.  These  delicate 
laces  are  not,  however,  those  which  suited  Spanish 
taste.  After  the  gold  and  silver  laces,  which  were 
sometimes  further  enriched  by  embroideries  in  colour, 
came  the  silk  lace,  both  white  and  black,  made  in  heavy 
patterns  on  a  net  ground. 

The  gala  dress  of  the  Spanish  signora  calls  for  a  white 
lace  mantilla,  which  is  not  in  the  least  becoming  to  her 
dark  style  of  beauty.  This  is  made  of  very  heavy  silk 
embroidery  on  net,  or  is  a  heavy  bobbin  lace  with  a  net 
ground.  The  black  lace  mantilla,  and  lace  flounces,  two 
of  which  were  often  mounted  upon  a  skirt  of  brilliant 
satin,  composed  the  dress  of  the  rich  Spanish  beauty, 
and  were  of  this  same  heavy  lace.  The  simplest  mantilla 
for  ordinary  occasions  was  of  silk,  but  this  was  embel- 
lished by  a  flounce  all  around  it  of  hand-wide  lace. 

The  earliest  sumptuary  laws  of  Spain  make  no 
reference  to  lace,  but  Philip  III,  in  1623,  required  the 
wearing  of  simple  rcbatos,  without  cut- work  or  lace,  for 
men,  and  collars  and  cuffs  for  women,  neither  sex  being 

11  161 


^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

allowed  the  use  of  starch.  Gold  and  silver  lace  was 
especially  prohibited,  but  this  prohibition  was  repealed 
for  the  period  of  Prince  Charles's  visit.  Spain  was 
long  celebrated,  and  with  justice,  for  the  elegance  of  her 
silk  fabrics  and  her  gold  and  silver  lace,  mention  of  all 
of  which  is  numerous  in  the  French  and  English  inven- 
tories and  Wardrobe  Accounts  of  the  period.  During 
Queen  Elizabeth's  time  she  had  a  mantle,  in  the  year 
1587,  trimmed  with  "bobbin  lace  of  Spanish  silk,"  and 
from  this  date  downward,  coats,  mantles,  petticoats, 
and  beds  were  trimmed  with  it.  A  Spaniard,  writing 
of  Barcelona  in  1683,  says  that  not  only  are  gold 
and  silver  edgings  made  there,  but  also  those  of  silk, 
thread,  and  aloe,  "with  greater  perfection  than  in 
Flanders." 

By  1667  so  much  thread  lace  was  brought  into  Spain 
from  France  as  well  as  from  Flanders  that  the  duty  was 
raised  from  25  to  250  reals  per  pound.  This  necessitated 
much  smuggling,  and  quantities  of  lace,  under  the  name 
of  "  mosquito  net,"  were  brought  into  Spain  via  Cadiz, 
and  there  are  records  of  the  seizure  of  many  vessels. 

The  gold  and  silver  lace  was  used  for  other  purposes 
besides  cloaks,  gowns,  and  mantles.  Banners  were 
edged  with  it ;  hats  were  laced  with  it  for  servants  as 
well  as  for  their  masters  ;  shoes  were  trimmed  with  it,  as 
also  carnages  and  furniture ;  and,  most  curious  of  all, 
sheets  were  embellished  with  it  to  the  depth  of  several 
inches.  The  most  famous  of  these  metal  laces  were 
made  at  Seville,  Barcelona,  and  Valencia. 
162 


TDLATE     LI.  —  Henrietta     Anna,     l)uchesse 
(VOrleans  (  Vj^-1610  ).     Showing  a  bertha  of 
straight-edged   lace.      An   early   representation    of 
Point  de  France. 


X>^^ 

FRENCH    AND    SPANISH    LACES 

The  silk  Blonde  lace,  which  we  call  to-day  "  Spanish 
lace,"  and  which  is  made  in  scarfs,  mantillas,  flounces, 
etc.,  was  made  at  Catalonia  and  Barcelona,  and  its  char- 
acteristic is  a  heavy  pattern  on  a  fine  net  ground.  This 
ground  is  not  nearly  so  durable  as  that  made  at  Bayeux 
or  Chantilly,  where  this  lace,  with  patterns  in  "  Spanish 
taste  "  are  made  to  suit  the  Spanish  market. 

There  are  no  lace  manufactories  of  any  note  in  Spain, 
the  custom  always  having  been  for  the  women  and 
children  to  work  at  the  lace  in  their  own  homes.  Many 
people  are  employed  in  silk  bobbin  lace-work  now  and 
the  patterns  and  workmanship  are  constantly  improving. 
Children  do  much  of  the  work,  beginning  as  early  as 
four  years  of  age,  and  after  a  little  practice  are  able  to 
handle  with  skill  six  or  seven  dozen  bobbins. 

A  curious  custom  prevails  in  Spain,  and  in  Portugal  as 
well,  of  trimming  coffins  with  lace.  This  fashion  has  been 
followed  for  hundreds  of  years,  and  as  the  coffins  them- 
selves are  generally  pink,  blue,  or  white,  and  overlaid  with 
gold  or  silver  lace,  they  present  a  very  tawdry  appearance. 

The  chief  claim  which  Spain  and  Portugal  have  for 
modern  lace  is  for  their  imitation  Chantilly  lace,  which  is 
exported  in  considerable  quantities.  The  black  silk  lace 
enriched  with  coloured  silks  and  gold  threads  is  no  longer 
made,  and  but  small  quantities  of  the  metal  laces,  which 
once  made  Spain  so  famous  in  the  world  of  fashion. 


163 


"V    V   V*   *v*   V   "V   "••.«•'   '*••••'    v     v    v    '•••'     v     v      •.•      ••/ 

Part  V-  -English  and  Irish  Lace 


"  x    1    *HE  real  good  of  a  piece  of  lace,  then, 
I    you  will  find,  is  that  it  should  show,  first, 
-*-     that  the  designer  of  it  had  a  pretty  fancy; 
next,  that  the  maker  of  it  had  fine  fingers; 
lastly,  that  the  wearer  of  it  has  worthiness 
or  dignity  enough  to  obtain  what  is  difficult 
to  obtain,  and  common  sense  enough  not  to 
wear  it  on  all  occasions." 

— JOHN  RUSKIN. 


K>    O>    <*•> 


V          '%•*        V 


V       'v 

>    <>* 


V-  -English  and  Irish  Lace 


HERE  is  scarcely  a  woman  who  at 
one  time  or  another  has  not  had  a 
desire  for  a  piece  of  lace  known  as 
"  English  thread."  This  term  is  so 
broad  and  covers  so  great  a  variety 
of  makes  and  styles  that  it  is  quite 
bewildering  for  the  novice  to  determine  whether  her  bit 
shall  come  from  "Bedford,  Bucks,  Dorset,  or  Devon." 

In  the  making  of  lace,  England  was  not  in  the  field 
as  early  as  either  Italy  or  Flanders,  and  the  Italians 
took  advantage  of  their  forwardness  in  the  craft  to  send 
to  England  lace  of  "  Venys  gold,"  as  well  as  that  of 
Genoa,  Lucca,  and  Florence. 

The  term  "  lace,"  often  used  in  the  expense  accounts 
of  sovereigns  from  the  time  of  Edward  IV  (1460),  has 
always  been  supposed  to  mean  the  trimming,  instead 
of  which  it  refers  to  the  strings  or  ties  by  which  various 
parts  of  the  garments  were  kept  together,  pins  not  then 
being  in  common  use.  The  statute  of  the  third  year  of 
Edward  IV's  reign  enumerates  the  following  wrought 
goods  not  to  be  imported,  and  ladies  were  to  rely  on 
home  manufactures  for  "laces,  corsets,  ribbands,  fringes, 

167 


^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

twined  silk,  embroidered  silk,  laces  of  gold,  points, 
bodkins,  scissors,  pins,  purses,  and  patterns,"  also  "  cards 
and  dice."  During  the  incarceration  of  the  unfortunate 
Henry  VI  in  the  Tower  of  London  in  1471,  various 
sums  were  paid  at  the  Exchequer  for  his  maintenance, 
and  among  the  items  given  was  one  of  "£9  10s.  lid.  for 
twenty-eight  ells  of  linen  cloth  of  Holland  and  ex- 
penses," which  refers  probably  to  the  making  of  it  into 
shirts. 

The  writers  of  the  period  being  chiefly  men,  poems 
and  satirical  essays  were  directed  against  the  gentler 
sex,  even  though  the  prevailing  modes  prescribed  equal 
elegance  for  both  men  and  women.  Sir  Richard  Maitland 
(1496-1586),  a  noted  Scotch  jurist,  amused  himself 
when  off  duty  by  writing  poems,  one  of  which,  called 
"  Satire  on  the  Town  Ladies,"  has  the  following  lines : 

"  Their  wilicoats  maun  weel  be  hewit, 
Broudred  richt  braid,  with  pasments  sevvit." 

The  earliest  English  records  of  the  fifteenth  and  six- 
teenth centuries  call  this  trimming  passcmcnt  and 
dcntellc.  Mrs.  Palliser  says  that  the  first  mention  of 
the  word  "  lace  "  in  any  English  inventory  is  in  that  of 
Sir  Thomas  L'Estrange  of  Hunstanton,  county  of  Nor- 
folk, in  1519.  There  was  but  a  single  yard,  and  it  was 
valued  at  eightpence,  "to  trim  a  shirt  for  hym." 

All  during  the  first  half  of  the  sixteenth  century  lace 

appears  but   sparsely  in  the  inventories  and   accounts. 

Gold  lace  was  increasing  in  amount,  and  by  the  time 

Queen  Elizabeth  sat  on  the  throne  the  edicts  against 

168 


T^LATK  LI  I. —  Old  Uonitou,   n-lfh  )i<-,'dl.<<-m«<l,< 
ground  and  carnation  xjirlyts.     E^n•ly   Kit/h- 
leenth  Century, 


0<$C^XXX>>>>^^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

cut- work  and  lace,  framed  by  Henry  VIII  and  renewed 
by  Queen  Mary,  were  no  longer  enforced,  since  the 
Virgin  Queen  loved  too  well  the  gewgaws  from  France, 
Italy,  and  Flanders,  to  deny  herself  the  use  of  them. 

By  this  time  there  were  resident  in  London  many 
rich  and  powerful  merchants  from  both  Italy  and 
Flanders.  One  of  the  most  famous  was  Messer 
Leonardo  Frescobaldi,  the  well-known  "  Master  Friski- 
ball "  of  Shakespeare.  He  was  one  of  the  merchant 
princes  of  the  day,  and  supplied  to  royalty  "  damask 
gold,"  gilt  axes,  hand  guns,  and  other  merchandise. 

Cardinal  Wolsey,  who  turned  to  advantage  every 
instrument  that  came  to  his  hand,  besides  buying  the 
rich  Venetian  goods,  used  these  merchants  in  various 
ways,  as  news-gatherers,  messengers,  etc.  Some  of 
them  married  English  women  and  became  English 
subjects,  having  thus  exceptional  advantages  for  selling 
the  "  Venys  laces  of  riche  gold,"  and  those  also  jewelled. 

Rich  dresses  were  worn  on  all  occasions.  When  the 
unfortunate  Earl  of  Arundel,  who  was  tried  for  high 
treason  in  1589  because  he  expressed  his  joy  "  when  the 
Spanish  Armada  entered  the  Channel,"  appeared  before 
the  jury  of  twenty-five  peers  at  Westminster,  he  was 
clad  in  a  "  wrought  velvet  gown,  furred  with  martins, 
laid  about  with  gold  lace,  and  fastened  with  gold 
buttons."  Another  prisoner  of  the  Tower,  the  Earl  of 
Essex,  went  to  the  block  in  1597  in  a  wrought  velvet 
gown  and  a  small  ruff,  which  latter  he  put  off  before 
kneeling  to  receive  the  fatal  stroke. 

169 


O<)O(>X<C<<XXXX>^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

"  Bone  lace,"  so  often  mentioned  in  the  inventory  of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  and  even  in  that  of  her  predecessor, 
signified  a  bobbin  lace,  since  bits  of  bones  from  various 
animals  and  birds  were  used  as  bobbins  and  as  pins 
around  which  the  lace  was  woven. 

The  fashion  of  garments  during  the  period  of  Henry 
VIII  and  of  Mary  precluded  the  use  of  much  lace  even  if 
it  could  be  obtained,  since  they  were  so  slashed  and  cut, 
puffed  and  jagged,  and  covered  with  flat  braids  of  metal 
or  silk,  that  there  was  little  room  for  anything  else. 
The  Elizabethan  ruff,  which  was  introduced  from 
France  about  1560,  was  made  of  the  finest  drawn-work 
and  edged  with  lace  of  geometric  pattern  but  of  great 
beauty. 

About  ten  years  later  the  Wardrobe  Accounts  fairly 
bristle  with  mention  of  cut-works,  passcments,  drawn- 
work,  chain  lace,  petticoat  lace,  and  a  dozen  other 
varieties  which  have  now  become  nothing  but  names, 
but  which  show  that  the  English  Queen  sought  every 
means  to  add  to  her  appearance  by  the  richness  of  her 
"appryl." 

Chain-stitch  was  one  of  the  forms  of  trimming  of 
which  there  are  many  early  entries  in  the  Great  Ward- 
robe Accounts.  Spanish  stitch,  which  had  been  intro- 
duced by  Queen  Catherine,  was  much  used  on  linen 
underwear,  and,  as  it  was  easy  to  make  and  stout  to 
wear,  many  apprentices  and  young  tradesmen  had  it  on 
their  collars.  This  did  not  suit  the  Queen  at  all,  and 
she  put  a  quick  stop  to  all  such  borrowing  of  fashions 
170 


<>OO€<?<X>0<<^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

from  their  betters  by  ordering  that  the  next  apprentice 
so  caught  should  be  publicly  whipped  in  the  hall  of  the 
Guild  to  which  he  belonged. 

A  contemporary,  speaking  of  the  gowns  of  the  period, 
says  of  them : 

"Some  are  of  silk,  some  of  velvet,  some  of  grograin,  some  of 
taffeta,  some  of  scarlet,  and  some  of  fine  cloth  of  10,  20  or  40 
shillings  the  yard.  But  if  the  whole  garment  be  not  of  silk  or  velvet, 
then  the  same  must  be  layed  with  lace  two  or  three  fingers  broad 
all  over  the  gown;  or  if  lace  is  not  fine  enough  for  them,  he  says, 
they  must  be  decorated  with  broad  gardes  of  velvet  edged  with 
lace/1 

So  much  for  feminine  attire. 

By  1595  the  peasecod-bellied  doublet  was  quilted  and 
stuffed  with  four,  five,  or  six  pounds  of  bombast,  the 
exterior  being  of  satin,  silk,  velvet,  camlet,  gold,  or  silver 
stuff,  "  slashed,  jagged,  cut,  carved,  pinched,  and  laced 
with  all  kinds  of  costly  lace  of  divers  and  sundry  colours." 

Gascoigne,  who  about  1570  wrote  his  "  Satire  on  the 
Court  Ladies,"  gives  them  credit  for  unbridled  folly  in 
copying  men's  clothes : 

"  Women  masking  in  men's  weeds, 
With  Dutchkin  doublets,  and  with  jerkins  jagged, 
With  Spanish  spangs  and  ruffles  set  out  of  France, 
With  high-copt  hats  and  feathers  flaunt-a-flaunt," — 

— and  many  other  extravagances  beside. 

Jasper  Mayne,  who  wrote  some  comedies  illustrative 
of  city  manners  in  the  time  of  Charles  I,  also  wrote 
some  poems.  He  was  archdeacon  of  Chichester,  and,  as 
might  be  expected,  had  little  sympathy  with  the 

171 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


Puritans  and  their  tenets  of  faith.  One  of  his  satirical 
poems,  written  about  1650,  was  called  "  The  Puritanical 
Waiting-Maid,"  and  her  mistress  thus  describes  the 
maid's  foibles  : 

"  She  works  religious  petticoats  ;  for  flowers 
She'll  make  church  histories.     Her  needle  doth 
So  sanctify  my  cushionets!     Besides 
My  smock-sleeves  have  such  holy  embroideries, 
And  are  so  learned,  that  I  fear  in  time, 
All  my  apparel  will  be  quoted  by 
Some  pure  instructor.11 

The  cloaks  of  both  sexes  were  faced  with  costly  lace 
of  silver,  gold,  or  silk,  and  with  members  of  the  court 
the  wearing  of  rich  clothes  was  a  positive  necessity. 

Arabella  Stuart,  that  unfortunate  princess  whose 
debts  and  matrimonial  difficulties  caused  her  to  pass 
many  weary  years  in  the  Tower,  never  lost  her  taste  for 
fine  clothes.  Her  last  appearance  at  court  was  June  4, 
1610,  when  her  cousin  was  created  Prince  of  Wales. 
The  Queen  gave  a  grand  masque  called  "  Tethys'  Fes- 
tival ;  or,  the  Queen's  Masque."  The  dresses  were 
designed  by  Inigo  Jones  in  honour  of  the  occasion,  and 
the  Lady  Arabella  took  a  leading  part.  She  was 
"  Nymph  of  the  Trent,"  all  the  ladies  representing 
different  rivers.  She  wore  one  of  those  elaborate  and 
costly  costumes  which  added  so  much  to  her  money 
difficulties.  Her  "  head  tire  was  composed  of  shells 
and  coral.  The  long  skirt  of  her  gown  was  wrought 
with  lace  waved  round  about  like  a  river,  and  on  the 
edges  sedge  and  seaweed,  all  of  gold." 
172 


<<<><X}^^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

Aprons  were  an  article  of  feminine  attire  upon  which 
lavish  work  was  employed,  drawn- work  alternating  with 
strips  of  sheer  muslin,  and  the  whole  bordered  by  wide 
needle  lace  of  the  finest  patterns. 

The  apron  was  used  by  the  highest  and  lowest  rank 
alike,  and  was  so  much  a  part  of  stately  dress  that  even 
the  poets  noted  them.  In  1596  Stephen  Gosson  wrote 
of  them  thus : 

"  These  aprons  white  of  finest  thread, 
So  choicelie  tide,  so  dearlie  bought, 
So  finelie  fringed,  so  nicely  spred, 
So  quaintly  cut,  so  richly  wrought ; 
Were  they  in  worke  to  save  their  cotes, 
They  need  not  cost  so  many  grotes." 

Quite  a  number  of  the  effigies  in  Westminster  Abbey, 
which  give  such  a  good  idea  of  contemporary  costumes, 
show  beautiful  aprons  edged  and  guarded  with  lace,  some 
dated  from  1641,  showing  how  many  years  this  fashion 
continued. 

During  the  reign  of  William  III  they  became  quite  an 
indispensable  article  of  dress.  They  were  at  that  time 
small  and  very  short,  and  trimmed  all  around  with  edg- 
ing lace.  The  lady's  apron  at  the  time  of  Queen  Anne 
was  exceedingly  rich,  since  besides  being  largely  com- 
posed of  needlework  it  was  also  decorated  with  gold  lace 
and  spangles. 

Besides  the  personal  use  of  lace  it  was  used  for  bed 
and  table  linen,  and  in  the  accounts  of  the  Darrell  family 
(1589)  mention  is  made  of  curtains  of  "  Wedmoll  lace, 
rings,  curtain-rods,  and  making,  18*." 

173 


>O<XXXXX5^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

There  is  still  to  be  seen  in  Anne  Hathaway 's  cottage 
at  Stratford-on-Avon  a  linen  chest  containing,  among 
other  things,  a  linen  sheet  with  a  strip  of  cut-work  down 
the  middle,  with  pillow-cases  to  match.  These  are 
marked  "  E.  H.,"  and  are  said  always  to  have  been  used 
by  the  Hathaway  family  on  special  occasions,  such  as 
births,  deaths,  and  marriages.  Many  of  the  old  English 
families  are  proud  of  similar  linen  which  has  been  in  use 
two  or  three  centuries  and  carefully  preserved. 

Laces  were  sold  in  England,  as  well  as  on  the  Con- 
tinent, by  travelling  merchants  who  went  from  one  town 
to  another.  They  were  also  sold  at  the  various  fail's, 
which  were  such  important  occasions  in  the  early  history 
of  England.  At  one  of  these  fairs,  held  in  the  chapel  of 
St.  Etheldreda  (or  St.  Audrey,  as  she  was  more  often 
called),  daughter  of  King  Auna,  who  established  the 
Abbey  of  Ely,  lace  of  a  coarse  quality  was  sold  which 
became  known  as  "  Tawdry  lace."  Shakespeare  mentions 
it  in  "  Twelfth  Night,"  and  from  it  has  no  doubt  come 
our  word  "  tawdry,"  signifying  something  showy  and 
coarse. 

In  an  old  play  written  in  1607,  called  "  Lingua  ;  or, 
the  Combat  of  the  Tongue  and  the  Five  Senses  for 
Superiority,"  is  given  a  list  of  many  of  the  articles  of  a 
lady's  wardrobe.  So  many  things  made  or  trimmed 
with  lace  are  enumerated  that  we  give  an  extract.  One 
of  the  characters  says  : 

"  Five  hours  ago  I  set  a  dozen  maids  to  attire  a  boy  like  a  nice 
gentlewoman,  but  there  is  such  a  doing  with  their  looking-glasses, 

174 


f^LATE  LI1L — An  unusually  wide  and  beaut  i- 
ful  piece  of  bobbin-made  Buckinghamshire  lace. 
Eiyhteenth  Century. 


OCC<C)CCCCCCK)C^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

pinning,  unpinning;  setting,  unsetting;  formings  andconformings; 
painting  of  blue  veins  and  cheeks.  Such  a  stir  with  sticks,  combs, 
castanets,  dressings,  purls,  fall-squares,  busks,  bodices,  scarfs,  neck- 
laces, carcanets,  rabatoes,  borders,  tires,  fans,  palisadoes,  puff's,  cuffs, 
ruffs,  muffs,  pusles,  fusles,  partlets,  fringlets,  bandlets,  fillets,  cors- 
lets, pendulets,  amulets,  annulets,  bracelets,  and  so  many  lets  [i.e. 
stops],  that  she  is  scarce  dressed  to  the  girdle,  and  now  there  is 
such  a  calling  for  fardingales,  kirtles,  busk-points,  shoe-ties,  and 
the  like,  that  seven  peddlers1  shops,  nay,  all  Stourbridge  fair,  will 
scarcely  furnish  her." 

In  a  comedy  of  the  same  period,  called  "Eastward 
Hoe  ! "  one  character  says  to  her  sister : 

"  Do  you  wear  your  quoif  with  a  London  ticket,  your  stamen 
peticoat  with  two  guards,  the  buffen  gown  with  tuftaffetie  cap  and 
velvet  lace." 

By  1640  the  hood  and  fardingale  appear,  and  dress  for 
both  men  and  women  is  distinguished  by  its  rich  ornate 
sleeves  and  elegant  falling  collar. 

The  wearing  of  the  periwig  crossed  the  water  from 
France  about  1645,  as  the  Grand  Monarch  had  started 
the  fashion,  and  the  lace  collar  gave  place  to  the  jabot,  or 
laced  band.  The  English  term  for  this  article  was  neck- 
cloth or  cravat,  and  the  edging  was  rich  Brussels  or 
Flanders  lace. 

The  ceremonial  life  of  English  royalty  was  always  a 
subject  of  grave  moment.  The  procession  through  the 
city  to  Westminster  at  the  coronation  of  a  monarch  has 
always  been,  even  down  to  our  own  day,  a  spectacle 
where  the  greatest  magnificence  and  taste  were  displayed. 
We  have  the  words  of  a  contemporary  to  describe  that 
procession  when  Charles  II  was  crowned  on  April  23, 

175 


OC<KXXXXX>^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

1661.  After  giving  the  order  of  the  procession,  the 
positions  of  the  nobility,  the  great  officers  of  state,  the 
royal  household,  the  principal  gentry  of  the  kingdom, 
etc.,  he  goes  on  to  say  : 

"It  were  in  vain  to  attempt  to  describe  this  solemnity;  it  was  so 
far  from  being  utterable  that  it  was  almost  inconceivable ;  and  much 
wonder  it  caused  to  outlandish  persons,  who  were  acquainted  with 
our  late  troubles  and  confusions,  how  it  was  possible  for  the  English 
to  appear  in  so  rich  and  stately  a  manner,  for  it  is  incredible  to 
think  what  costly  clothes  were  worn  that  day ;  the  cloaks  could 
hardly  be  seen  what  silk  or  satin  they  were  made  of,  for  the  gold  and 
silver  laces  and  embroidery  that  were  laid  upon  them  :  besides  the 
inestimable  value  and  treasure  of  diamonds,  pearls,  and  other  jewels, 
worn  upon  their  backs  and  in  their  hats ;  to  omit  the  sumptuous 
and  rich  liveries  of  their  pages  and  foot-men ;  the  numerousness  of 
these  liveries  and  their  orderly  march ;  as  also  the  stately  equipage 
of  the  esquires  attending  each  earl  by  his  horse's  side;  so  that  all 
the  world  that  saw  it  could  not  but  confess  that  what  they  had  seen 
before  was  but  solemn  mummery  to  the  most  august,  noble,  and  true 
glories  of  this  great  day.  Even  the  vaunting  French  confessed 
their  pomps  of  the  late  marriage  with  the  Infanta  of  Spain,  at 
their  Majesties1  entrance  into  Paris,  to  be  inferior  in  state,  gallan- 
try, and  riches  to  this  most  glorious  cavalcade  from  the  Tower." 

Charles  II  himself  on  this  auspicious  occasion  wore  a 
robe  or  sort  of  surplice  of  fine  lawn  trimmed  with 
Flanders  lace  at  eighteen  shillings  the  yard.  This,  too, 
in  face  of  the  fact  that  he  had  issued  a  proclamation 
enforcing  an  act  of  his  father  prohibiting  the  entry  into 
the  Kingdom  of  foreign  bone  lace. 

The  next  year,  16G2,  another  Act  was  passed,  pro- 
hibiting bone  lace  cut-work  and  passcmcnts;  all  foreign 
bone  lace  being  forfeited,  and  a  penalty  of  £100  ($500) 
to  be  paid  by  the  offender. 
176 


COX$XXXXXX$D<X<<<$XXX^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

The  King,  however,  and  the  royal  family  seem  to 
have  considered  themselves  exempt  from  such  stringent 
laws,  and  the  curious  Latin  of  the  Great  Wardrobe 
Accounts  are  rich  in  items  of  lace  both  from  Flanders 
and  Venice,  to  trim  the  King's  cravats,  shirts,  pillow- 
beres,  tooth  and  toilet  cloths. 

The  dignity  of  the  nation  was  upheld  by  its  ambas- 
sadors abroad,  whose  dress,  as  well  as  that  of  their 
household,  was  very  magnificent.  Lady  Fanshawe 
gives  the  following  description  of  her  husband's  costume 
on  a  state  occasion  at  Madrid  in  October,  1644,  when 
he  was  ambassador.  She  says  that  he  was — 

— "  dressed  in  a  very  rich  suit  of  clothes  of  a  dark  Jillemonte 
brocade,  laced  with  silver  and  gold  lace,  nine  laces,  every  one 
as  broad  as  my  hand,  and  a  little  silver  and  gold  laid  between 
them,  both  of  very  curious  workmanship.  His  suit  was  trimmed 
with  scarlet  taffety  ribbon,  his  stockings  of  white  silk  upon  long 
scarlet  silk  ones ;  his  shoes  black  with  scarlet  shoe-strings  and 
garters ;  his  linen  very  fine  laced  with  very  rich  Flanders  lace ;  a 
black  beaver  buttoned  on  the  left  side  with  a  jewel  valued  at 
^1,200." 

The  comparative  moderation  of  the  Commonwealth 
produced,  as  was  natural,  a  revulsion  in  favour  of 
unlimited  extravagance,  and  no  one  chronicles  it  more 
pleasingly  than  Pepys.  His  diary  for  1662  records  the 
laces  worn  by  the  ladies  of  the  court,  his  own  expendi- 
tures, and  what  Mrs.  Pepys  was  able  to  get  from  him 
for  her  own  wear,  and  many  other  references  to  the 
modes  as,  for  example  : 

"  Went  with  my  wife,  by  coach,  to  the  New  Exchange,  to  buy 
her  some  things  ;  where  we  saw  some  new  fashion  pettycoats  of 

12  177 


<>C<!<&®^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

sarcenett,  with  a  black  broad  lace  printed  round  the  bottom  and 
before,  very  handsome." 

He  has  for  himself  a  "  white  suit  with  silver  lace  to  his 
coat."  Pepys  was  never  quite  satisfied  if  his  things  did 
not  show  for  their  full  value,  and  one  of  the  entries  in 
his  diary,  recording  that  he  and  his  wife  went  to  church, 
says : 

"  My  wife  had  on  her  new  petticoat  that  she  bought  yesterday, 
which  indeed  is  a  very  fine  cloth  and  a  very  fine  lace;  but  that 
being  of  a  light  colour  and  the  lace  all  silver,  it  makes  no  great 
show.11 

He  heard  that  the  King  (Charles  II)  rode  in  the  Park, 
so  he  went  to  see  him. 

"  By  and  by  the  King  and  Queene,  who  looked  in  this  dress,  a 
white  laced  waistcoate  and  a  crimson  short  petticoat,  and  her  hair 
dressed  a  la  negligence,  mighty  pretty ;  and  the  King  rode  hand  in 
hand  with  her.11 

On  another  occasion  he  takes  his  wife  to  drive  in  the 
Park  for  the  first  time  in  a  coach  of  their  own  : 

"  My  wife  extraordinary  fine,  with  her  flowered  tabby  gown 
that  she  made  two  years  ago,  now  laced  exceeding  pretty.11 

With  this  desire  for  lace  reaching  through  all  classes, 
of  course  many  women,  Mrs.  Pepys  among  the  number, 
made  it  with  more  or  less  success  for  themselves. 
Pattern-books  were  scarce  and  came  high,  and  from  this 
need  of  patterns  for  domestic  work  came  the  samplers, 
or  "  Sam  cloths,"  as  they  were  called.  Fifty  years  before 
the  time  of  Mrs.  Pepys  there  is  mention  of  samplers. 
In  Chappell's  "  Popular  Music  of  the  Olden  Time  "  it  is 
178 


JJLATE    L1V.—  A.      Deromhire    Trolly   lace. 
11.   Bedfordshire  "  ]><ifn/  luce."     C.  liuckiny- 
humshire  Trolly  lace.      All  are  bobbin  laces. 


tO^O^O^OO^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

stated  that  there  was  a  collectioh  of  songs  entitled  : 
"The  Crown  Garland  of  Golden  Roses"  (1612),  and 
among  them  was  "  A  Short  and  Sweet  Sonnet  Made  by 
One  of  the  Maides  of  Honour  upon  the  Death  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  Which  She  Sewed  upon  a  Sampler  in  Red 
Silk ;  to  a  New  Tune,  or  Phillida  Flouts  Me." 

The  ordinary  sampler  was  not  so  elaborate  a  work  of 
art  as  this,  but  a  strip  of  linen,  occasionally  mounted 
upon  a  little  roller,  on  which  strip  were  embroidered 
patterns,  samples  of  drawn-work  and  lace,  which  could 
be  kept  for  reference  or  lent  to  friends. 

The  earliest  known  English  sampler  that  is  dated  is  a 
small  bit  of  linen  six  and  a  half  inches  long  by  six 
inches  wide,  dated  1643.  It  consists  of  two  strips  of 
very  beautiful  lace,  one  in  conventional  design,  and  the 
other  having  two  figures,  a  Cupid  drawing  his  bow  at  a 
lady  who  holds  up  her  hand  in  protest.  The  foundation 
is  a  coarse  brown  linen,  and,  in  addition  to  the  date, 
Elizabeth  Hinde,  the  maker,  has  worked  her  name  on  a 
little  strip  of  finer  linen  which  is  sewed  to  the  bottom. 
This  is  in  the  South  Kensington  Museum,  London. 
Most  of  these  early  samplers,  many  fine  examples  of 
which  are  preserved  in  London,  were  long  and  narrow 
bits  of  linen  with  a  variety  of  embroidery  patterns 
worked  on  them  in  silk,  and  with  only  one  or  two  bits 
of  cut- work  or  lace  work. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  the  fashion  for  embroider- 
ing quaint  verses  prevailed,  and  such  good  moral 
mottoes  as  the  following  are  by  no  means  uncommon  : 

179 


0<<<*0<XX>X>XX^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

"  Look  well  to  what  you  take  in  hand, 
For  larnin  is  better  than  house  or  land, 
When  land  is  gone  and  money  spent, 
Then  larnin  is  most  excellent.11 

A  sampler  made  by  Mary  Saunders  was  "  wrought  in 
the  ninth  year  of  her  age,  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  seventeen," — the  above  in  the  finest  stitchery, 
and  with  a  quantity  of  patterns,  also  with  a  "  magic 
square"  filled  with  numbers. 

Like  most  old  things,  samplers  have  had  a  remarkable 
rise  in  price  during  the  past  few  years.  Very  large 
sums  have  been  given  for  even  mediocre  examples.  At 
a  recent  sale  at  Sotheby's  £8  ($40)  was  given  for  a 
sampler  in  good  condition,  dated  1679,  while  one  less 
perfect  brought  £6  4s  ($31). 

While  it  is  true  that  lace  was  made  in  England, 
indeed  in  London  itself,  during  the  sixteenth  and  seven- 
teenth centuries,  and  that  the  manufacture  extended 
over  an  area  which  included  the  counties  of  Dorset, 
Hampshire,  Hertfordshire,  Buckinghamshire,  Bedford- 
shire, Oxford,  and  Devon,  it  was  only  foreign  laces 
which  were  worn  at  court  and  by  men  and  women 
alike.  The  making  of  lace  never  seems  to  have  become 
an  important  staple  in  any  part  of  England,  and  in 
many  counties  where  once  the  industry  flourished  there 
are  now  no  traces  left  of  it. 

The  laces  of  England,  chiefly  bobbin-made,  are  said 
to  have  been  taught  to  English  workers  by  the  in- 
dustrious Flemings.  Certain  it  is  that  the  old  patterns 
180 


<)OO<^^ 
ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

were  of  the  graceful  flowing  designs  which  are  dis- 
tinctly Flemish.  English  Trolly  lace,  an  early  make, 
closely  resembles  the  same  named  lace  of  Flemish 
make.  Many  of  the  Flemings  who  fled  from  the  per- 
secutions of  Alva  settled  in  the  neighbouring  counties  of 
Bedford,  Bucks,  and  Northampton,  and  pursued  their 
craft,  so  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  lace  of  these  three  counties 
is  practically  similar  ;  and  is  worked  in  the  same  fashion, 
with  a  net  ground  and  flat  pattern,  as  are  many  Flemish 
bobbin  laces.  The  women  and  children  were  not  the 
only  workers  at  lace.  Berkeley,  in  his  "  Word  to  the 
Wise,"  reads  a  reproof  to  Irish  labourers  by  drawing 
pictures  of  English  thrift : 

"  They  meet  at  one  another's  houses  [the  men],  a  jolly  crew, 
where  they  merrily  and  frugally  pass  the  long  dark  winter's 
evenings  working  at  their  different  manufactures  of  wool,  flax,  or 
hemp." 

"In  other  parts  you  can  see  him  of  an  evening,  each  at  his  own 
door  with  a  cushion  before  him,  making  bone-lace." 

The  peasant  might  weave  the  lace,  but  it  can  be 
imagined  that  the  fabric  made  by  the  toil-worn  fingers 
of  labourers  could  not  be  comparable  with  that  woven 
by  the  trained  and  delicate  fingers  of  women.  So  the 
court  still  wore  foreign  lace. 

In  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary,  about  1702,  there 
were  several  changes  in  costume.  The  full  ornamental 
sleeve  gave  place  to  a  tight  one,  but  at  the  elbow  there 
was  a  full  fall  of  lace  in  the  form  of  ruffles  or  lappets. 
The  hair  was  built  up  on  cushions  and  surmounted 
by  an  erection  of  lace  and  ribbons  arranged  in  tiers,  and 

181 


;x^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

called  a  tower,  or  commode.  Streamers  of  lace  fell  down 
on  either  side,  and  are  spoken  of  as  "  pinners  edged  with 
Colberteen,"  a  name  often  given  to  French  lace  in 
English  records. 

In  the  manufacture  of  bone  lace  the  county  of  Buck- 
inghamshire surpassed  her  sister  counties  in  receiving 
recognition  for  this  fabric,  which,  however,  was  accounted 
inferior  to  that  of  Flanders  make.  Before  1623  there 
had  been  less  made  here,  since  in  that  year  we  read  that 
owing  to  the  monopolies  of  James  I  the  people  suffered 
great  distress,  owing  to  "  the  bone  lace-making  being 
much  discayed." 

The  southern  part  of  Buckinghamshire  was  justly 
celebrated  for  the  lace  produced,  contemporary  writers 
calling  it  of  the  finest  quality,  and  some  of  it  was  cer- 
tainly very  beautiful.  By  1680  the  lace  from  High 
Wycombe  was  in  great  esteem,  and,  beside  edging, 
was  made  in  veils  and  other  piece  lace. 

The  "  baby  laces "  of  Northamptonshire,  while  not 
appearing  particularly  early,  are  very  pretty.  Of 
course  the  earliest  are  quite  frank  copies  of  Flanders 
lace,  with  bright  clear  grounds,  and  simple  little 
patterns,  generally  floral,  running  along  the  edge. 
While  these  laces  are  all  bobbin-made  they  are  called 
"  point,"  a  term  usually  applied  to  needle  laces,  and 
their  fineness  and  beauty  bring  them  well  into  com- 
petition with  early  Mechlin  and  Brussels.  These  narrow 
laces  remained  in  fashion  many  years  as  the  trimming 
for  infants'  caps.  When  the  style  had  become  obsolete 
182 


LV.  A.  Kiii/Huh  l>ohh'ni-in<t<l(>  l<ic«. 
/iill/  Ci'iil  ii  rif.  !>.  I Iniiiloit.  lloliliitt- 
//,'  <ift In-  Xuu-tccitHi  Ci-iitnri/. 


o<>ooc<>c<<<x>c^^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

in  England,  it  still  remained  in  America,  and  a  great 
quantity  of  these  laces  were  exported  till  about  the 
middle  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Not  only  are  these  laces  charming  in  quality  and 
pattern,  but  the  reasonable  price  at  which  they  were 
sold  made  them  very  desirable.  Very  choice  designs 
could  be  bought  at  $1  a  yard,  few  coming  higher  than 
$1.50.  Many  of  these  laces  were  made  by  children, 
chiefly  girls,  beginning  with  those  only  eight  years  old. 
They  worked  from  6  A.  M.  to  6  P.  M.  in  summer,  with  two 
hours  taken  out  for  meals.  In  winter  the  hours  were  from 
8  A.  M.  to  8  P.  M.,  so  it  is  not  a  wonder  that  lace-makers 
lose  their  sight  early,  since  the  insufficient  light  furnished 
must  have  rendered  the  work  most  trying.  A  candle- 
stand  with  one  solitary  candle  was  placed  in  the  centre  of 
the  room.  Around  the  candle  in  hollow  wooden  cups 
were  set  bottles  of  very  thin  glass  filled  with  water.  These 
concentrated  the  light,  and  there  were  three  girls  to 
each  bottle,  one  candle  being  deemed  sufficient  for 
eighteen  girls,  seated  on  stools  of  varied  heights.  The 
pillows  were  exceeding  hard  and  covered  with  blue 
butcher's  linen.  There  were  various  cloths  in  addition 
for  the  lace  to  lie  on,  to  cover  the  pillow  with  when  not 
in  use,  and  to  keep  the  lace  in  as  it  was  made.  The 
pins  were  of  very  slender  brass  wire  made  on  purpose 
for  this  work,  some  with  larger  heads  than  others.  The 
bobbins,  as  in  other  lace-making  countries,  were  gen- 
erally of  turned  wood,  made  of  the  requisite  weight  by 
the  addition  of  bright-coloured  beads,  which  made  a 

183 


THE    LACE    BOOK 

"  dressed  pillow  "  with,  say,  300  or  400  bobbins,  a  very 
gay  affair. 

The  wedding  trousseau  of  Queen  Victoria  was 
trimmed  with  English  laces  only,  and  this  set  such  a 
fashion  for  their  use  that  the  market  could  not  be 
supplied,  and  the  prices  paid  were  fabulous.  The 
patterns  were  most  jealously  guarded,  and  each  village 
and  sometimes  separate  families  were  noted  for  their 
particular  designs,  which  could  not  be  obtained  else- 
where. Such  laces  as  these  were  what  were  used  on 
Queen  Victoria's  body  linen.  Her  coronation  gown 
was  of  white  satin  with  a  deep  flounce  of  Honiton  lace, 
and  with  trimmings  of  the  same  lace  on  elbow  sleeves 
and  about  the  low  neck.  Her  mantle  was  of  cloth  of 
gold  trimmed  with  bullion  fringe  and  enriched  with 
the  rose,  the  thistle,  and  other  significant  emblems. 
This  cloth  of  gold  is  woven  in  one  town  in  England. 
The  present  Queen's  mantle  was  made  there  also.  Queen 
Victoria's  wedding  dress  was  composed  entirely  of 
Honiton  lace,  and  was  made  in  the  small  fishing  village 
of  Beers.  It  cost  £1,000  ($5,000)  and  after  the  dress 
was  made  the  patterns  were  destroyed.  Royalty  has 
done  all  it  could  to  promote  the  use  of  this  lace,  and  the 
wedding  dresses  of  the  Princess  Alice  and  of  Queen 
Alexandra  were  of  Honiton  also,  the  pattern  of  the 
latter  showing  the  design  of  the  Prince  of  Wales's 
feathers  and  ferns. 

The  county  of  Devon  is  the  seat  of  the  handsomest 
and  most  important  of  all  English  laces.  Before  the 
184 


0<XX)C<><X><XXXX^^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

making  of  bone  lace,  which  is  so  frequently  mentioned 
in  early  lace  records,  laces  made  with  the  needle  had 
been  fabricated.  It  is  a  matter  of  legend  rather  than 
of  history  that  bobbin  lace  was  introduced  into  England 
by  Dutch  refugees  somewhere  about  1568.  Be  this  as 
it  may,  there  are  no  traces,  in  Queen  Elizabeth's  volum- 
inous records,  of  Honiton  lace,  and  the  earliest  mention 
of  it  is  in  1620,  by  Westcote,  who  wrote  a  pamphlet 
called  "  View  of  Devon,"  and  speaks  of  "  bone  lace 
much  in  request,  being  made  at  Honiton  and  Brad- 
ninch." 

Forty  years  later  English  lace  was  more  in  demand. 
Foreign  as  well  as  the  home  markets  bought  it,  and  in 
1660  an  ordinance  was  issued  in  France  that  some  mark 
should  be  attached  to  thread  lace  made  in  England,  as 
well  as  to  that  made  in  Flanders. 

England  was  very  well  pleased  that  her  thread  lace 
should  be  a  staple  in  the  market,  since  it  cost  but  a 
little  to  buy  the  necessary  material,  and  children  and 
weakly  persons  could  be  ultilized  in  its  manufacture. 
The  importation  of  foreign  laces  was  never  encouraged, 
but  in  1698  it  was  proposed  to  repeal  some  of  the 
prohibitions  against  them.  This  aroused  those  in- 
terested in  the  buying  and  selling  of  English  lace,  and 
they  drew  up  and  sent  to  the  House  of  Commons  a 
petition  which  gives  a  very  clear  idea  as  to  how  important 
the  manufacture  of  home  laces  had  become. 

After  speaking  of  the  manufacture  of  bone  lace  as 
"  ancient "  the  petition  goes  on  to  say  that  heretofore 

185 


0<^;^XXX<<<X>^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

Parliament  had  considered  it  wise  to  prohibit  the  im- 
portation of  lace  from  foreign  ports. 

"This  has  revived  the  said  Languishing  Manufacture,  and  there 
are  now  above  one  hundred  thousand  in  England  who  get  their 
living  by  it,  and  earn  by  mere  Labour  e£0500,000  a  year  according 
to  the  lowest  computation  that  can  be  made;  and  the  Persons 
employed  on  it  are  for  the  most  part,  women  and  children  who 
have  no  other  means  of  Subsistance.  The  English  are  now  arrived 
to  make  as  good  lace  in  Fineness  and  all  other  respects  as  any  that 
is  wrought  in  Flanders,  and  particularly  since  the  last  Act,  so 
great  an  improvement  is  made  that  way  that  in  Buckinghamshire, 
the  highest  prized  lace  they  used  to  make  was  about  eight  shillings 
per  yard,  and  now  they  make  lace  there  of  above  thirty  shillings 
per  yard,  and  in  Dorsetshire  and  Devonshire  they  now  make  lace 
worth  six  pound  per  yard."" 

"The  Lace  Manufacture  in  England  is  the  greatest,  next  to 
the  woollen,  and  maintains  a  multitude  of  People  which  otherwise 
the  Parishes  must,  and  that  would  soon  prove  a  heavy  burthen,  even  to 
those  concerned  in  the  Woollen  Manufacture.  On  the  Resolution 
which  shall  be  taken  in  this  affair  depends  the  Well-being,  or  ruin 
of  numerous  families  in  this  Country." 

The  number  of  people  quoted  as  getting  their  living 
in  Honiton  by  this  industry  was  1,341.  The  little  town 
of  Honiton  was  twice  destroyed  by  fire,  first  in  the  year 
1756,  and  again  in  1767.  The  first  of  these  two  fires 
was  the  more  disastrous,  and  was  always  known  in  the 
annals  of  the  town  as  the  "Great  Fire."  Three  years 
before  this,  in  1753,  a  Mrs.  Lydia  Maynard  won  a  prize 
of  fifteen  guineas  offered  by  the  Anti-Gallican  Society 
for  the  encouragement  of  lace-makers.  She  exhibited 
six  pairs  of  ladies'  lappets,  which  were  said  to  be  of 
"  unprecedented  beauty."  The  Honiton  lace  was  also 
the  widest  lace  made  in  England. 
186 


~f>LATE  LV1.  —  Irish  crochet  lace.     Nineteenth 
Century. 


0<)OOC<<>C<K>>^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

While  the  earlier  Devonshire  laces  followed  those  of 
other  countries  in  their  gradual  development,  they  took 
as  models  the  beautiful  pattern  of  the  G-ros  Points  of 
Venice  and  made  an  imitation  of  them  with  bobbins. 
Honiton  lace  as  we  know  it,  is,  however,  a  direct 
growth  from  Brussels  lace,  where  the  sprigs  were 
made  separately  and  then  woven  into  the  net  ground. 
England  could  not  produce  the  exquisite  thread  that 
was  necessary  to  make  this  lace  of  required  fineness,  and 
was  indebted  to  Flanders  for  this  precious  flax. 

The  ground  of  the  Honiton  Guipure  is  formed  of 
brides,  while  in  the  finest  old  Honiton  the  ground  is 
worked  with  a  needle,  which  of  course  greatly  increases 
the  cost. 

The  bobbin  Honiton  net  was  also  extremely  costly, 
being  made  of  Flanders  thread  costing  as  much  as  £90 
($450)  a  pound,  and  in  strips  about  two  inches  wide. 
The  way  this  net  was  paid  for  was  curious,  since  the 
worker  laid  it  out  on  a  counter  and  received  for  pay- 
ment as  many  shillings  as  would  cover  it.  This  was 
the  ground  alone,  so  that  a  Honiton  veil  or  large  piece 
like  a  shawl  would  be  valued  at  a  hundred  guineas 
or  more.  A  favourite  pattern  was  the  butterfly  and 
acorn,  which  was  copied  from  a  very  popular  design  of 
Point  cTAngleterre. 

The  French  Revolution,  besides  paralyzing  the 
making  of  lace  in  France  had  a  disastrous  effect  on 
its  manufacture  in  England.  The  two  wars  with 
America  still  further  worked  havoc,  and  the  revival 

187 


O<)€<>C<K<)OO^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

of  the  classic  style  in  dress  was  also  against  it.  But 
the  worst  blow  of  all  was  the  invention  of  machinery 
to  make  net,  which  dates  from  1768.  In  the  years 
1808  and  1809  an  Englishman  named  John  Heath  coat, 
of  Nottingham,  obtained  patents  for  machines  to  make 
bobbin  net,  which  laid  the  foundation  for  the  successful 
making  of  machine-made  lace.  A  few  years  later 
(1813),  John  Leavers  still  further  improved  these 
machines,  and  his  inventions  are  still  in  use. 

Joseph  Marie  Jacquard,  a  Frenchman  of  Lyons,  in- 
vented a  marvellous  machine  for  the  weaving  of  silk, 
for  which  he  finally  obtained  recognition,  and  before  he 
died,  in  1834,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  it  in 
general  use.  Part  of  his  apparatus  applied  to  lace  net 
machines  has  enabled  manufacturers  to  weave  all  sorts 
of  patterns  in  imitation  of  hand-made  lace.  Still 
further  improvement  by  another  Frenchman  has  re- 
sulted in  an  even  more  perfect  machine,  known  as  the 
dentelliere,  the  use  of  which  is  at  present  restricted, 
since  the  product  of  this  machine  is  more  costly  than 
hand-made  lace. 

Every  day  the  rich  and  elegant  appreciate  more 
clearly  that  lace,  like  gems,  should  be  the  "  real  thing," 
to  be  that  ornament  for  which  its  beauty  intended  it. 
Ruskin  says  : 

"  The  whole  value  of  lace  as  a  possession  depends  on  the  fact  of 
its  having  a  beauty  which  has  been  the  reward  of  industry  and 
attention.  That  the  thing  is  itself  a  price — a  thing  everybody 
cannot  have.  That  it  proves,  by  the  look  of  it,  the  ability  of  the 
maker ;  that  it  proves,  by  the  rarity  of  it,  the  dignity  of  its  wearer. 

188 


0<XXXtfX>0<X>CW 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

...  If  they  all  chose  to  have  lace,  too,  if  it  ceases  to  be  a  price, 
it  becomes,  does  it  not,  only  a  cobweb  ?" 

Varieties  of  English  Lace 

HONITON  LACE.  Of  all  English  laces  this  has  been 
the  most  esteemed  and  the  most  costly,  as  well  as  the 
most  beautiful.  It  is  a  bobbin  lace,  with  a  bride  bobbin 
ground,  or  with  a  net  bobbin  ground  or,  in  rare  cases, 
with  a  net  needle  ground. 

From  the  early  days  of  lace-making  in  England,  about 
Queen  Elizabeth's  time,  lace  was  made  in  Honiton,  the 
coarse  bone  or  bobbin  laces  as  well  as  the  more  expensive 
laces  of  gold  and  silver.  Not  only  were  there  the  original 
English  workers  with  their  primitive  methods  and  pat- 
terns, but  in  the  sixteenth  century  there  came  many 
Flemish  refugees,  bringing  with  them  superior  facility 
and  new  patterns  of  sprigs  and  fillings  which  their 
neighbours  soon  learned  to  copy.  The  name  "  Honiton" 
had  not  then  been  applied  to  the  laces  from  this  place  ; 
but  they  were  called  Bath  Brussels  lace,  no  doubt  on 
account  of  the  Flemish  workers  and  because  the  method 
of  manufacture  is  similar. 

It  has  been  mentioned  elsewhere  that  the  making  of 
the  Honiton  pillow-made  ground,  once  so  famous,  has 
become  a  lost  art,  and  the  beautiful  sprigs  which  were 
once  applied  to  it,  either  by  being  worked  or  sewed  into 
it,  are  now  put  on  machine-made  net  or  connected  by 
needle  or  bobbin  brides, 

Modern  Honiton  is  not  so  beautiful  as  the  old, 

189 


0<?XX£###^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

although  there  has  been  a  revival  of  interest  in  the 
making  of  this  lace,  and  a  finer  variety  of  sprigs  are 
now  made.  Fifty  or  sixty  years  ago  the  patterns  used 
were  commonplace  and  lacking  entirely  in  grace  and 
beauty,  as  the  workers  became  discouraged  from  the 
lack  of  appreciation  and  the  poor  sale  for  their  wares. 

HONITON  GUIPURE  is  the  name  applied  to  the  modern 
product,  and  its  manufacture  is  somewhat  on  the  old 
plan.  After  the  sprigs  are  made,  on  a  pillow  with  bob- 
bins, of  course,  they  are  basted  on  coloured  parchment 
paper  to  suit  the  shape  of  the  piece  of  lace  desired,  and 
the  space  between  is  filled  in  with  needle  stitches,  or 
"purlings,"  which  are  bobbin-made  extremely  narrow 
braids  or  tapes  with  little  loops  on  one  edge.  The  effect 
is  very  delicate  and  pretty. 

HONITON  APPLIQUE,  like  that  of  Brussels,  consists  of 
sprigs  applied  to  net,  formerly  hand-made,  now  made  by 
machine.  The  most  common  of  the  Honiton  Applique 
was,  of  course,  white  thread  sprigs  mounted  on  thread 
net ;  but  black  silk  laces  were  also  made  in  Devonshire, 
the  best  of  them  coming  from  Honiton.  The  usual 
sprigs  were  made  on  the  pillow  with  black  silk,  and  were 
transferred  to  a  fine,  machine-made  silk  net.  This  made 
an  exceedingly  beautiful  lace,  not  so  heavy  as  that  we 
know  as  Spanish  lace,  and  yet  of  more  body  than  Chan- 
tilly.  It  was  made  in  wide  flounces,  in  shawls,  and  in 
large  pieces,  and  for  a  while  was  very  popular. 

Black  silk  sprigs  were  also  made  into  narrower  pieces 
and  bits  like  barbcs  and  lappets  by  the  same  method  as 
190 


/> .  /  '/'/•;  L  1  '11.     Llmi-ru-k  J/y/'/'V";  („<•>'.    L<nrn 
on  machine-made  net  ( IS  1/0). 


OC<xX^>CKKX$XX^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

the  white  thread  sprigs ;  thrt  is,  they  were  sewed  on 
paper,  and  brides  or  bars  were  used  to  fill  in  the  spaces 
around  them  and  connect  the  sprigs.  No  black  silk 
laces  have  been  made  in  Honiton  for  the  last  quarter  of 
a  century,  the  workers  that  are  left  confining  themselves 
to  the  making  of  the  white  thread  laces. 

DEVONSHIRE  LACES.  Next  to  Honiton,  Trolly  lace 
was  the  best  known  of  all  the  laces  made  in  Devonshire. 
None  of  the  lace  made  here  seems  to  have  been  an 
original  growth,  except  Honiton,  since  the  Trolly  lace 
was  copied  from  Flemish  lace  of  the  same  name,  and 
Point  (TAngleterre,  as  a  certain  variety  of  Brussels  lace 
was  called,  was  also  successfully  copied  in  Devon.  In 
this>  as  in  the  Honiton,  the  sprigs  were  made  first,  and 
the  bobbin-net  ground  worked  in  around  them.  By  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  Devonshire  workers 
could  rival  their  Flemish  instructors,  and  present  as 
beautiful  specimens  of  this  lace,  with  as  great  variety  in 
fillings  of  fancy  stitchings,  as  if  it  had  been  made  by 
nimble  Flemish  fingers  in  Brussels  itself. 

Beside  these  expensive  laces,  quantities  of  narrow  and 
coarser  laces  were  made  in  Devon  also,  something  in 
character  like  the  modern  Torchon. 

The  Trolly  lace  is  distinguished  by  having  a  heavier 
looking  thread  in  various  parts  of  the  pattern.  This  is 
always  made  by  twisting  the  threads  of  the  bobbins  to- 
gether, never  by  the  introduction  of  a  coarser  thread. 
The  making  of  this  lace  has  seriously  declined,  cheap 
machine  laces  taking  its  place. 

191 


<KXX<XXXX>^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

BEDFORDSHIRE  LACE.  Like  the  Devonshire  lace,  the 
Bedfordshire  also  drew  its  inspiration  from  the  Flemings, 
who  literally  spread  all  over  the  world  the  art  of  making 
bobbin  lace.  The  lace  of  "  Beds  "  is  very  different  from 
that  of  Devon,  resembling  the  work  of  Lille,  which  has 
a  clear  ground  with  a  dainty  little  close  pattern  on  the 
edge.  One  particular  pattern  of  lace  made  early  in  the 
nineteenth  century  was  known  as  *'  Regency  Point." 
It  had  a  clear,  delicate  ground,  made  of  twisted  instead 
of  plaited  threads,  and  with  a  heavy  edge,  quite  elaborate 
in  design.  It  is  no  longer  made,  since  the  elaboration  of 
the  ground  took  so  long  that  the  more  quickly  plaited 
reseau  was  found  more  profitable.  Much  "  Baby  Lace," 
narrow  in  width,  is  made  here  and  sold  all  over  England 
by  peddlers.  It  is  a  pretty  and  inexpensive  trimming, 
and  its  durable  quality  has  always  kept  it  alive,  though 
unfortunately  less  is  made  each  year,  and  only  in  the 
coarser  patterns. 

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE  LACE.  Many  lovers  of  lace  con- 
sider a  fine  piece  of  lace  from  "  Bucks"  almost  superior 
to  Honiton.  The  peculiarity  of  this  lace,  which  is  made 
with  bobbins,  is  that  the  pattern  or  sprig  is  made  at  the 
same  time  as  the  ground.  Lace-making  was  an  old 
industry  in  Great  Marlow  ;  it  flourished  long  before 
1623,  and  in  1626  a  school  was  founded  by  a  generous 
patron  called  the  "  Free  School  of  Great  Marlow," 
where  boys  were  taught  to  read  and  write,  and  girls 
"  to  knit,  spin,  and  make  bone  lace." 

The  ground  of  this  lace  is  always  pretty,  being  clear 
192 


*X)O<>C<)<>C<X^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

and  open,  and  in  it  are  introduced  sprigs,  leaves,  and  dots, 
not  unlike  those  of  old  Mechlin,  while  the  patterns  them- 
selves are  flowers,  scrolls,  and  medallions  ornamented 
with  numerous  different  fillings  and  grounds.  The  soft- 
ness of  the  lace  is  one  of  its  chief  charms  ;  and,  although 
the  lace  suffered  a  decline,  by  1884  a  number  of  fine 
specimens  made  from  old  patterns  were  exhibited  in 
London,  and  there  is  enough  demand  to  occupy  a  limited 
number  of  workers. 

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE  LACE.  In  this  county  the  laces 
chosen  for  reproduction  were  of  the  type  known  as 
Valenciennes,  made  now  chiefly  in  Holland  and  Eng- 
land. The  oldest  laces  made  here,  besides  the  fausse 
Valenciennes,  were  copies  of  the  old  Flemish  designs, 
some  of  them  even  having  the  fine  old  Brussels  ground, 
which  was  known  as  "  point "  ground.  This  referred 
only  to  the  fineness  and  clearness  of  the  ground,  not 
to  the  fact  that  it  was  made  with  a  needle,  since,  like 
all  other  English  laces,  that  of  Northamptonshire  was 
made  with  bobbins.  Sometimes  the  ground  was  made 
by  men,  the  delicate  pattern  with  its  twisted  bobbin 
cordonnet  being  worked  in  by  the  more  skilful  fingers 
of  women. 

At  one  time  about  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury all  these  laces  found  a  good  market  in  America  and 
England's  colonies.  The  market  has  declined  with  the 
advent  of  pretty  and  durable  machine  laces,  and  it  is  only 
by  constant  encouragement  that  the  workers  at  hand- 
made laces  can  be  kept  at  their  pillows. 

u  193 


^ 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


Irish  Lace 

FOLLOWING  as  closely  as  she  was  able  upon  the  heels 
of  England,  Ireland  passed  through  the  various  stages 
of  drawn-  and  cut-  work  before  she  finally  emerged  into 
the  making  of  lace.  That  her  women  were  ever  devoted 
to  fine  works  with  the  needle  is  a  matter  of  history, 
while  this  oracle  is  dumb  as  to  how  much  lace  was 
actually  made  in  Ireland. 

Indeed,  the  lace  history  of  that  unfortunate  country 
is  directly  the  reverse  of  most  other  nations,  since  the 
fame  for  making  this  ornamental  fabric  is  of  recent 
growth,  and  has  been  acquired  while  the  skill  gained  by 
centuries  of  effort  in  other  lands  slowly  died  for  lack  of 
appreciation. 

About  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  Irish 
were  able  to  make  very  excellent  imitations  of  Brussels 
lace,  and  her  ardent  patriots  encouraged  in  every  way 
both  the  making  and  wearing  of  this  fabric.  Bone  lace 
was  made  in  greater  or  less  quantities,  little  being  ex- 
ported from  England,  and  the  children  in  the  work- 
houses were  set  to  work  upon  the  simpler  forms  of  it. 

Gold  and  silver  lace  in  limited  quantities  was  also  made, 
but  it  was  not  till  nearly  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth 
century  that  Ireland  awoke  to  her  possibilities  in  this  di- 
rection. Then,  too,  it  was  the  convents  that  first  found  in 
this  industry  relief  for  some  of  the  misery  of  her  people. 

Not  only  is  lace  now  made  with  considerable  success, 
of  both  needle  and  bobbin  varieties,  but  it  is  also 
194 


OC<<X>C<X><><K^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

crocheted  in  beautiful  patterns  with  thread  of  either 
cream-colour  or  white,  showing  knotted  as  well  as  raised 
Guipure,  in  Greek  and  Spanish  patterns. 

Drawn-  and  cut-work  are  also  made  in  different  coun- 
ties, and  at  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth  century 
Ireland  is  successfully  making  seven  kinds  of  lace, 
namely :  crochet,  flat  needle  point,  raised  needle  point, 
embroidery  on  net,  cut- work,  drawn- work  in  old  Italian 
style,  and  bobbin  laces. 

Unfortunately  some  of  the  choicest  of  these  laces  lose 
in  effect  from  the  poor  quality  of  the  thread  used,  since  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  get  it  of  pure  flax,  and  an  admix- 
ture of  cotton  makes  it  work  up  thick  and  fluffy.  Flax 
is  grown  in  Ireland  in  considerable  quantity,  and  the 
spinning  of  the  thread  has  long  been  a  matter  of  ma- 
chinery, so  that  with  encouragement  we  may  expect  to 
see  Ireland  assume  a  place  in  this  industry  which  she 
never  held  in  earlier  times,  while  richer  countries  lose 
their  dearly  bought  pre-eminence.  The  choicest  lace  is 
that  made  at  Youghal,  and  half  a  dozen  other  places,  in 
imitation  of  Brussels  lace.  It  is  called  — 

IRISH  POINT.  This  lace  is  made  entirely  with  the 
needle  in  many  cases,  the  different  sprigs  being  united 
by  needle-point  bars.  Sometimes  the  sprigs  are  mounted 
upon  machine-made  net,  being  carefully  sewed  to  it  so 
that  the  net  can  be  cut  away  behind  the  pattern,  giving 
a  light  and  delicate  appearance.  In  Kenmare,  County 
Kerry,  much  of  this  lace  is  made  at  the  Convent  of  the 
Poor  Clares,  and  it  is  somewhat  superior  in  quality  to 

195 


<X<<)C<><<<XX^^ 

THE    LACE    BOOK 

that  made  at  Youghal,  since  great  care  is  taken  to  have 
the  thread  entirely  flax.  The  Guipure  from  this  county 
is  particularly  fine. 

An  imitation  of  the  old  Venetian  Point  is  made  very 
successfully  at  New  Ross,  the  heavy  old  Rose-Point 
patterns  being  copied  with  the  greatest  care.  Indeed, 
some  of  these  designs  are  reproduced  in  a  marvellous 
manner  with  the  crochet-needle,  the  nuns  of  the  Car- 
melite Convent  at  New  Ross  being  very  proficient. 

CARRICKMACROSS  LACE  is  also  an  adaptation  from 
another  country,  and  is  made  in  both  Guipure  and  ap- 
plied patterns.  The  Guipure  is  almost  cut-work  upon 
fine  lawn,  in  which  the  pattern  is  traced  and  worked 
around  or  closely  overcast,  the  intermediate  bits  of  cloth 
cut  away,  and  the  spaces  filled  in  with  various  fancy 
stitches.  This  work  has  not  the  solidity  of  the  old  cut- 
work  made  on  coarse  linen  with  heavy  threads  or  silk. 
To  compete  with  the  machine-made  trimmings,  it  must 
be  sold  at  not  too  great  a  price,  and  so  too  much  time 
cannot  be  spent  upon  it.  The  Applique  is  made  on  net, 
as  previously  described. 

LIMERICK  LACE  is  a  combination,  too,  of  cut-work 
and  embroidery,  and  hardly  comes  under  our  definition 
of  lace.  Since  1829  this  work  has  been  made,  though 
it  has  suffered  at  various  times  from  loss  of  workers  by 
emigration  and  other  causes.  As  Lady  Vere  and  Lady 
Arabella  Denny  were  patron  saints  to  the  lace- workers 
of  other  counties,  Charles  Walker  was  the  good  genius 
who  brought  Limerick  lace  to  perfection.  There  are 
196 


T>  LA  '/'/•;  LVIll.     A.    Point  de  Gaze.     M<»l<-n, 
/>>v/.s-.sW,v   Ht't'dlc  i>i>lnl.       X'uiHi'i'nth    Ct-»fnri/. 
B.    I'niii/  <l\l/;->icon.      Ximfi-i'iitlt  Ci  n/iu-//.       3J<ul<- 
in  Venice. 


>XK^ 

ENGLISH    AND    IRISH    LACE 

three  styles  of  this  trimming  made,  the  most  beautiful 
being  Tambour,  in  which  the  patterns  are  embroidered 
and  worked  upon  machine-made  net. 

There  is  also  a  revival  of  the  old-time  Lacis,  in  which 
the  pattern  is  run  with  a  heavy  thread  into  a  coarse 
net,  and  which  is  called  "run  lace." 

Applique  is  a  fine  cambric  laid  over  lace,  with  the 
pattern  of  the  design  run  or  stitched  down,  and  the 
background  then  cut  away  so  as  to  show  the  lace  net 
through. 


197 


Index 


C 


Index 


ALEN90N,  7,  32,  33,  35,  36,  37,  38, 
39,  76,  83,  97,  123,  124,  127,  128, 
134,  135,  140,  141,  145,  146,  147, 
148,  149,  150. 

Aloe  lace,  84. 

Amboise,  74. 

Anne  of  Austria,  92. 

Anne,  Queen,  19,  24,  25,  173. 

Antwerp  lace,  109. 

Appliqu^  196,  197. 

Aprons,  173. 

Argentan,  7,  35,  36,  83,  127,  128, 
129,  130,  134,  148,  149,  150. 

Argentella,  83. 

"  BABY  LACES,"  182,  183,  192. 

"  Band  strings,"  21. 

"  Bars,"  60. 

Bath  Brussels  lace,  189. 

"  Bath  sets,"  35. 

Beaufort,  Duchess  of,  30. 

Bedfordshire  lace,  191,  192. 

Beggar's  lace,  158. 

B6guinages,  104. 

Belgium,  94,  99. 

Berkeley,  Bishop,  102. 

Binche  lace,  108. 

Bisette,  141. 

Blonde,  109,  138,  140,  154,  155,  156. 

Blonde  tulle,  37. 

Bobbins,  14,  98,  99,  183,  193. 


Bobbin  lace,  14,  15,  102,  180,  181, 

182,  185,  188,  195. 
Bone  lace,  14,  19,  23,  170,  176,  182, 

185,  192,  194. 
Bonzy,  Mgr  de,  122. 
"  Boot  tops,"  23. 
Borgia,  Lucretia,  73. 
Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  148. 
Botticelli,  63. 
BrantOme,  74. 
"  Brides,"  60. 
Bruges,  100. 
Brussels  lace,  25,  38,  39,  95,  96,  97, 

124,  135,  175,  187,  194. 
Buckingham,  Duke  of,  19,  20. 
Buckinghamshire  lace,  182,  192,  193. 
Burano,  7,  8,  127. 

CAMOBA,  73. 
Campane,  157,  158. 
Cannons,  32. 

Canterbury,  Archbishop  of,  27. 
Carignan,  Francis,  75. 
Carnival  lace,  83. 
Caroline,  Queen,  26. 
Carr,  Sir  John,  104. 
Carrickmacross  lace,  196. 
Chain-stitch,  170. 
Chandos,  Duke  and  Duchess,  27. 
Chantilly  lace,  38,  134, 135, 139, 140, 
148,  154,  155,  163. 

201 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


Charles  II,  107,  175,  176,  178. 

Charles  V,  90. 

Charles,  Prince,  19,  21,  22,  23. 

Charlotte,  Queen,  27. 

Chesterfield,  Lady,  28. 

China,  87. 

Christie's,  77,  78,  107,  108,  147,  148. 

Church  of  Rome,  6,  7,  8,  9. 

Cinq-Mars,  30. 

Clement  XIII,  8. 

Cloaks,  19,  25. 

Clouet,  J.,  74,  117. 

Cluny  lace,  136,  151. 

Colbert,  32,  33,  117,  122,  123,  125, 

127,  128,  134,  135,  142,  152,  156, 

159. 

Colberteen,  156,  157,  182. 
Commode,  182. 
Cordonnet,  61,  146,  193. 
Couronnes,  61. 
"  Courriers  de  la  Mode,"  35. 
Courtot,  Baroness  de,  40. 
Coventry  blue,  10. 
Cravats,  23,  24,  175. 
Crochet,  195. 
"  Crown  lace,"  14. 
"  Crowns,"  61. 
Cromwell,  23. 
Cuffs,  126. 

"  Curiosities  of  Literature,"  20. 
Cut-work,  23,  59,  69,  195. 

D'Abrantes,  Duchesse,  112. 
Dentclle,  5,  157,  168. 
Dentelliere,  188. 
Dentelle  Fuseau,  157. 
Dentelle  de  Fil,  157. 
Devonshire  lace,  187,  191. 
Dieppe  Point,  157. 
D'Israeli,  20. 

202 


Drake,  Sir  Wm.,  78,  148. 

Drawn-work,  58,  194,  195. 

Du  Barry,  Mdme,  36,  96,  135,  153. 

Ducat,  73. 

Duchesse  lace,  113. 

Dutch,  5. 

ECCLESIASTICAL  GARMENTS,  6,  7,  8,  9. 
Edict  of  Nantes,  Revocation  of,  100, 

142. 

Edward  IV,  12. 
Elizabethan  ruff,  170. 
Elizabeth,  Queen,  9,  10,  12,  13,  14, 

15,  16,  17,  19,  91,  162. 
Encaje,  5. 
Engageants,  126. 
England,  9,  10,  12,  18,  21,  26,  28,  35. 

60,  90,  95,  96. 

English  and  Irish  lace,  167-197. 
"  English  thread,"  167. 
Engrelure,  130. 
Eugenie,  Empress,  140,  147. 
d'Este,  Beatrice,  65,  73. 
d'Este,  Isabella,  35. 
d'Estrees,  Oabrielle,  116,  120. 
"  Extraordinary  expenses,"  19. 

"  FALLING  BANDS,"  20,  21,  22. 

Ferrara,  73. 

Flanders,  5,  9,  15,  23,  24,  25,  30,  31, 
32,  33,  35,  60,  81,  89,  91,  93,  97, 
98,  103,  160,  162,  175,  176,  182. 

Flanders'  Point,  105. 

Flat  needle  point,  195. 

Flax,  88. 

Flemish  lace,  87-113. 

Fleur  volant es,  61. 

Florence,  63,  65,  67,  74. 

Flounces,  130. 

Foelix,  O.,  68. 


*&&&o>&^ 


INDEX 


"  Fontange,"  126,  127,  132. 

France,  5,  9,  17,  28,  32,  33,  35,  38, 

60,  68,  69,  70,  74,  75,  82,  93,  100, 

103,  117,  122,  162. 
Francis  II,  74. 
French  laces,  117-158. 
Frescobaldi,  Messer,  169. 

GALANTS,  121. 

George  III,  26,  27,  28. 

Geneva  bands,  22. 

Genoa,  5,  32,  63,  74,  129. 

Genoa  lace,  82. 

Germany,  60. 

Ghent,  100. 

Ghirlandajo,  63. 

Gilbert,  Mdme,  32,  122,  145. 

Glen,  Jean  de,  89. 

Gold  lace,  12,  17,  18,  24,  25,  31,  32, 

62,  63,  64,  65,  72,  74,  136,  142, 150, 

151,  162,  163,  194. 
Gorgias,  117. 
Gothic  period,  6. 
Great  Marlow,  192. 
Greece,  60,  83. 
Greek  lace,  59,  60. 
Gros  Point  de  Venise,  9,  61,  75,  145, 

160,  161,  187. 

Guyard,  Mathieu,  128,  129. 
Guicciardini,  90. 
Guipure,  5,  12,  17,  27,  62,  63,  80,  81, 

95,  99,  111,  113,  136,  137,  195, 196. 
Guise,  Due  de,  119. 

Haye,  de  la,  68. 
Heathcoat,  John,  188. 
Hebrew  ceremonial,  9. 
Henry  III,  28,  29,  68. 
Henry  VT,  168. 
Henry  VII,  12. 

Henry  VIII,  10,  11,  12,  16,  22,  98, 
170. 


Hercules  I,  64. 

"  History  of  Lace,"  13,  36. 

Holland,  13,  24,  90. 

"  Hollands,"  16,  27,  91,  92. 

"  Hollow  lace,"  14. 

Honiton,  185,  186. 

Honiton  applique",  190. 

Honiton  guipure,  187,  190. 

Honiton  lace,  184,  186,  187,  189-191, 

192. 

Honiton  net,  187. 
Howell,  James,  19,  20. 

INVENTORY,  18,  56. 

Ionian  Isles,  60. 

Irish  lace,  194-197. 

Irish  Point,  195. 

Italy,  5,  28,  31,  32,  35,  60,  63,  68,  72, 

75,  84,  87,  92,  117. 
Italian  lace,  57,  75,  123,  130. 

Jabot,  175. 

Jacquard,  J.  M.,  188. 

James  I,  18,  21,  23. 

James  II,  24. 

Jonson,  Ben,  21. 

Josephine,  Empress,  38,  39,  40. 

"Jours,"  132,  133,  147. 

Jupiter  Capitolinus,  7. 

KANTEN,  5. 

Konigsmarck,  Aurora  von,  27. 

LACE-MAKING  (English),  167. 
Lace-making  (Modern),  143. 
Lacier,  5. 

Lacis,  61,  69,  80,  118,  119,  197. 
Leavers,  J.,  188. 
Leicester,  Earl  of,  10. 
Leyden,  104. 
Lille  lace,  111. 

203 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


Limerick  lace,  196. 

London,  13,  15. 

Lonrai,  32. 

Louis  XIII,  30,  120,  122. 

Louis  .17  V,  5,  33,  81,  94,  123,  126, 

127,  130,  132,  133,  134,  139,  141, 

144,  145,  146. 
Louts  XV,  35,  36,  109,  127,  132,  133, 

134,  136,  137,  146. 
Louis  XVI,  9,  138. 
Louvre,  28. 
Lucca,  15,  63. 
Luynes,  Due  de,  27,  134. 

MACHINE-MADE  GROUNDS,  97. 

Machine-made  lace,  144,  188. 

Macrame,  61. 

Maintenon,  Mdme  de,  126. 

Mantua,  35,  65. 

Marie  Antoinette,  37,  92,  138,  139, 

140. 

Marie  Louise,  39. 
Mary,  Queen,  12,  93. 
Mary  Stuart,  4,  17,  18,  74. 
Margherita,  Queen,  8. 
Marli,  37,  138,  139. 
Mazarin,  94,  122. 
Mechlin,  7,  25,  27,  39,  92,  93,  108, 

109,  134. 

Medici,  Catherine  de,  28,  74,  117,  118. 
Medici,  Marie  de,  30,  31,  32,  82. 
Meiningen,  Due  de,  40. 
Merletto,  5. 
Mignonette,  141,  156. 
Milan,  63,  65,  74. 
Milan  Point,  79. 
Mocenigo,  Doge,  72. 
Mocenigo,  Dogaressa,  72. 
"  Modes,"  6. 

Montespan,  Mdme  de,  125. 
Montgomery,  Gov.,  102. 

204 


Montpensier,  Mdlle,  121. 
Morgan,  Lady,  26. 
Morosini,  Doge,  71. 

Napoleon  I,  38,  39,  40,  140. 
Navarre,  Queen  of,  29. 
Neck-cloth,  175. 
Needle  point,  102. 
Netherlands,  25,  87. 
Night-caps,  22,  23. 
Nicholas,  Etienne,  129. 
Nimequen,  100. 
Northamptonshire  lace,  182,  193. 

Oberkirch,  Mdme,  9. 
Oppian  Law,  64. 
Ostaus,  John,  69. 

Pagani,  69. 

"  Palatines,"  125. 

Palliser,  Mrs.  Bury,  13,  14,  36,  95, 

140,  168. 

Parchment  lace,  14,  62. 
Paris,  26,  34,  39,  121. 
Passement,  5,  168,  176. 
Passementerie,  63. 
Paston  letters,  4. 
Pattern-books,  68,  69,  70. 
Peerlen,  5. 

Penthievre,  Due  de,  35,  144. 
Pepys'  Diary,  24,  177,  178. 
Permon,  Mdlle,  39. 
Percy's  Reliques,  11. 
Perquisites,  133,  134. 
Petit  Trianon,  37. 
Pharaohs,  3. 
Philip  the  Good,  92. 
Picot,  59,  132,  145. 
Pillows,  98. 
Pins,  98. 
Pius  IX,  7. 


^ 

INDEX 


Pizzo,  5. 

Point  d  bride,  35. 

Point  d  rtseau,  35,  62,  77,  78. 

Point  d'Aiguille,  95,  97,  106. 

Point  d'Angleterre,  27,  35,  36,  39,  76, 

93,  95,  96,  97,  106,  107,  124,  125, 

134,  135,  187,  191. 

Point  d'Espagne,  131,  142,  159,  160. 
Point  de  France,  33,  124,  125,  127, 

130,  131,  132,  144. 
Point  de  Paris,  142. 
Point  de  Sedan,  145. 
Point  de  Venise,  33,  34,  68,  127,  129, 

148. 

Point  Gaze,  106. 
"  Point  "  ground,  193. 
Point  lace,  76. 
Point  Plat,  106. 
Points  (Metal),  4. 
Portugal,  160. 
Potten  Kant,  110. 
Prince  Imperial,  141. 
Punto  a  Groppo,  61,  80. 
Punto  a  Maglia,  80. 
Punto  Burano,  76. 
Punto  de  Ragusa,  83. 
Punto  Gotico,  74,  75,  76,  103. 
Punto  in  Aria,  60,  67,  68. 
Punto  Tagliato,  58. 
Punto  Tagliato  a  Fogliami,  60,  71, 

75,  76. 

Punto  Tirato,  59. 
Purls,  59. 
"  Purlings,"  190. 

QtJABTERLY  REVIEW,  57. 

Querouaille,  Louise  de,  33. 
Quintain,  58. 

REFORMATION,  9. 

Regency  Point,  192. 


Renaissance,  32,  34,  59,  65,  72,  79. 

Renda,  5. 

Reticella,  59,  60,  68,  71,  74,  83. 

Retondes,  117. 

Revolution,  French,  38, 129,  139, 146, 

149,  187. 
Richelieu,  32. 
Rochet,  9. 
Rohan,  9. 
Rome,  64,  73. 
Rome,  King  of,  39. 
Roundheads,  22. 
Rousseau,  139. 
Ruffs,  18,  20,  29,  103,  119. 
Ruffles,  126,  130. 

"  SAM  CLOTHS,"  178. 
Samplers,  178,  179,  180. 
Savoy,  Margaret  of,  119. 
Scotland,  17. 
Seguin,  90. 

Sevignt,  Mdme  de,  125,  131. 
Sforza,  56,  73,  89. 
Spain,  19,  60,  93,  149,  160. 
Spaniards,  20. 
Spanish  costume,  161. 
Spanish  lace,  14,  159-163. 
Spanish  stitch,  170. 
Spider-work,  152. 
Starch,  91. 

Steenwych,  Mdme,  101. 
"  Steinkirk,"  131,  132. 
Stuart,  Arabella,  172. 
Stuarts,  23. 
Stubbs,  13. 
Swift,  Dean,  25. 

TALITH,  9,  10. 
Tallien,  Mdme,  40. 
Tambour,  197. 
Tape  lace,  81,  110. 

205 


THE    LACE    BOOK 


"  Tawdry  lace,"  174. 
Taxes  on  lace,  129. 
Thread,  88. 
"  Transparents,"  125. 
"  Trolle  Kant,"  105. 
Trolly  lace,  181,  191. 
Tulle,  37,  138,  139. 
Turner,  Mrs.,  16. 

Valenciennes,  7,  35,  39,  99,  100,  109, 
135,  139,  152,  153,  154,  193. 

Valenciennes,  Fausse,  100,  193. 

Valier,  0.  B.,  70. 

ValliSre,  Mdlle  de  la,  124. 

Valois,  28,  29,  117. 

Van  der  Plasse,  Mdme,  13. 

Van  Dyck,  21,  22,  75. 

Vatican,  8. 

Vavassore,  A.,  69. 

Venice,  8,  15,  16,  30,  34,  60,  63,  64, 
67,  68,  69,  70,  71,  74,  82,  83,  84,  88, 
135. 

Venice  Point,  24,  31. 


Venetian  Rose  Point,  7,  61,  74,  77, 

78,  196. 
Verghetti,  84. 
Versailles,  9. 
Victoria,  Queen,  184. 
Vinciolo,  F.,  30,  69. 
Vosterman,  W.,  89. 

WALKER,  CHABLES,  196. 
Wardrobe  Accounts,  10,  13,  14,  15, 
17,  26,  93,  134,  135,  162,  170,  176. 
Warwickshire,  10. 
Wedmoll  lace,  173. 
William  and  Mary,  24,  181. 
William  III,  173. 
Wolsey,  Cardinal,  169. 

YOUGHAL,  195. 

Young,  Arthur,  149,  153. 

Ypres,  100. 

ZOPPINO,  68. 


206 


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